Greensboro Daily Photo

Gene's Barber Shop

Finding an "old school" barber shop is is getting harder and harder. Even Gene wants to make it clear that he offers hair styling, too. Barbers have a rigorous training program and the barber pole (see above the PEPSI machine) is said to be the oldest symbol of a trade or craft and it dates back to the BC era. Barbers were known as barber-surgeons and have always been well respected. From the feedback online, Greensboro's Barber Gene is well respected here. One customer said that Gene can use a straight razor to shave hair down to a zero. Now that's smooth.

Barber shops are known for being great places to congregate and to share the latest ideas. Barbers need to be able to cut hair, give a clean shave, sharpen a razor with a razor strap, and be a worthy debater. Maybe we should stop Gene's and learn about a day in the life of a barber. Gene's is located on Spring Garden Street across from yesterday's little gray art house. 

B is for Boardinghouse

Located in Summerfield on Highway 150, also known as Oak Ridge Road, at the corner of Deboe Road, is the old Saunders Inn. It was a place where travelers or people relocating could stay, get a good meal, and keep their horse in the outbuildings. In the early 1800's, when Sydney Porter was relocating to Guilford County, he lodged here and actually stayed on to teach innkeeper Hezekiah Saunder's children*. Fast forwarding to 1862, this teacher's grandson, William Sydney Porter, would be born in Guilford County and grow up to become Greensboro's most celebrated writer, O.Henry.

The above property, a simple country home from the 19th century, could be transformed into a splendid piece of literary history. Imagine being able to attend a retreat for writers in a place with connections to O.Henry. The barn on the property was torn down not too long ago; so, it is hard to tell what the future has in store for this weary old place. Even in this state of decay, it remains beautiful. Reading Summerfield town council notes, it appears that this property will be compromised by the widening of Highway 150 as well as development. **

Today is ABC Wednesday and this round on Greensboro Daily Photo, our theme is "Alphabet Soup," a serving of whatever comes our way from week to week. We learned of this property from the man who sold us a book about O.Henry's life. B is for Boardinghouse, bed & breakfast, located in northeast Guilford County.

*reference and more about Summerfield, here.

** read more here in Summerfield's Town Council Notes from 10/29/2013. It is really interesting tracking the change to our county and seeing how it unfolds.

 

A Senior Moment

Nothing says Saturday morning in Greensboro quite like a trip to one of the city's farmers markets. Today's photo was taken at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market on Yanceyville, across from War Memorial Stadium. North Carolina ranks third in the nation in the number of winter farmers markets (Our State Magazine, 2/14, p. 60) and the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market is one of the oldest in the state. The above quartet was talking over the railing, looking down at the small creek that meanders past the market. They were enjoying the 20th century version of "social network." We don't know what the senior citizens were looking at, but they were having a great time making small talk. The man to the right sports a shirt just brimming with North Carolina pride:  NC DIRT SHIRT and the small print says "hand washed and dyed in NC red dirt." If you live in North Carolina you will appreciate the comment. Red clay particles are so small, they are virtually impossible to wash out.

Many North Carolina potters have special, hidden sources of red clay that they use to make pottery.* Perhaps the man in the photo is a potter. Perhaps the shirts are for sale at the farmers' market. Sounds like a good Saturday morning quest. A lot of potters frequent, and even sell there. Someone will know where we can find this t-shirt and whether the man is a potter. We might even pick up some vegetables and free-range eggs while we are at it. What will you be doing today? Have any adventures planned? Time permitting, head to a farmers market.

*read more about North Carolina's red clay pottery in Our State magazine, here. The article is great!

Country Roads and Country Drives

Fall weekends are great for taking rides down country roads. The above photo was taken on one such country road in northwest Greensboro, at Carlson Dairy near Pleasant Ridge Road. While we're losing a lot of our farms, Guilford County has a large population of horses and you can still see pastures when driving around the county. You don't even have to travel too far from the city limits. to see horse farms. The above paint horse is a real beauty. We're thinking it is a tobiano pattern. Paints are one of the fastest growing breeds in the United States. It is easy to see why. Not only are their markings beautiful, they have a great temperament.

If you get a chance, go to one of the farms near Greensboro that offer riding lessons. There are 23 listings in the Greensboro yellow pages. The horse industry in North Carolina has a great reputation. Read more about it here. Saturday would be a great day to go exploring. Let us know what you find!

Today's house is located on Church Street, across from Cone Elementary School. Likely, it was a mill house for a family whose members worked at the nearby textile mills. The Cone Mills community was close knit; houses were built in the day when neighbors knew each other. Families spent time on porches and walking around in the neighborhood. Also, getting from point a to point b often involved walking or catching a ride with a co-worker. In the glory days of the mill communities, everybody knew each other.

This outside of the above little white house is spotless and the yard is well cared for, hinting that the owner probably lives there. In the mid-20th century and earlier, smaller homes were common. We predict that the post-McMansion Generation will seek houses like the one above. If you think about it, the younger generation is growing up with "rooms full of stuff" consolidated onto their computer desktop: games, photos, scrapbooks, music, videos, clocks, paperwork, school assignments, books, magazines, you name it. If you are driving around town this weekend, visit Greensboro's mill villages and imagine yourself in one of these historical little homes. Greensboro is right there with the rest of America: Small is the new big. 

Saturday night, Triad Acoustic Stage brought Alice Gerrard to Greensboro for a grand  evening of acoustic music. The event, photographed above, was held at Mack and Mack's clothing design house on South Elm Street. The venue makes you feel as if you are listening to music in someone's living room surrounded by all the clothing they are plannig to take on vacation. It gives you that old-timey feeling of when people would clear out a room or two in their house and host an old-time dance. You were close enough to the performers to be part of their impromptu jokes and could hear their comments to each other. Intimate and inviting. 

Since the late 1950's, Americana music- especially bluegrass and old-time- has been a driving force in Alice Gerrard's  life. Most of the people close to Alice were entrenched in the folk music scene of the 1960's and 1970's. During that time, Alice partnered with Hazel Dickens, performing and recording songs about coal mines, hard times, bittersweet aspects of life, and other reflective, soul searching themes. Sometimes a bit jazzy, sometimes bluesy; sometimes accompained and at others unaccompanied, Alice's performances are always special.  In the above photo, she is featured with four other FABULOUS musicians, from left to right, Laurelyn Dossett, Scott Manring, Alice Gerrard, Carl Jones, and Elizabeth Bahnson. 

This FARM BUREAU bench may be empty now, but it will be full of people this weekend when the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market hosts the Crawfish Boil. The event is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Crawfish are $6 a pound live and $7 cooked. During growing and harvest seasons, the farmers' market- on Sandy Ridge out by the airport- tries to have themed events or promotions severas weekends a month. 

Do you remember that the NC Commissioner of Agriculture, Steve Troxler, is from Guilford County? Since his department is sponsoring the Crawfish Boil, perhaps he'll be there greeting people. Head on out, have some good cajun fun, and see if you can see Mr. Troxler. He has been in farming his whole life, so, likely, he could tell you some great stories about farming. Hope to see you there!

Urban Horticulture is now a major at Greensboro's NCA&T University. Through this major, students learn techniques for producing horticultural crops in the limited space of urban environments. You learn to plant as much as possible in these often wasted spaces: herbs, flowers, and crops in spaces. Cement and barren patches of dirt become lush and green. The A&T curriculum is geared towards food production; however, the ornamental component of urban horticulture is also addressed.

The above photo was taken at the corner of Wright Avenue and Kensington Road, down the street from UNCG. As you can see, the property owners take advantage of that strip of dirt between the city sidewalk and the road by filling it with greenery. They have been practicing urban horticulture for twenty years or so, long before most people were talking about it, much less practicing it.

Hats off to NCA&T for being trend setters in their Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Systems. Today is ABC Wednesday and for GO GREEN Greensboro, "U" is for Urban Horticulture. It isn't too late to go outside and plant something. Consider requesting permission to plant something in an unused space beside your favorite coffee shop or retail store. The price of a pack of seeds could bring the community great joy.

Ahhhh summer! Here we see a jon boat with two men fishing on Lake Brandt near Strawberry Road and Highway 220. From Highway 220 , the scene is completely bucolic- two men in a boat fishing, surrounded by cattails, countryside and a tranquil shoreline. From Strawberry Road, the scene is the one photographed above- completely tranquil until you look at the horizon line and realize that the ever-expanding Highway 220 is nearby. To be sure, the road needs to be expanded. In the 21st century, we need to balance protecting our natural resources and undeveloped land with developing the infrastructure sufficiently.

Somehow, we don't think the two men in the jon boat were waxing philosophical about urban development and highway expansion. Likely, they were experiencing mental stasis, putting thoughts on complete hold,; everything, that is, except for the thought of catching a bass or catfish on this 816-acre municipal reservoir.

Church Street is changing before our eyes. This photo of the corner of Church Street and Pisgah Church (Lees Chapel)  Road shows one of the buildings of yesteryear. At one time, Church Super Market, was a barber shop with an older barber who would give his young clients mosquito houses. They were shaped like bird houses and about the size of a quarter. Likely, given the FOR RENT SIGN from last year, it is already something else and not inconceivable that the bilding will be torn down to become a 21st-century franchise. Don't you love the way the businesses are painted different colors? So clever and practical.

Canterbury School is located about a mile up the road and, beyond that, the Lake Jeanette neighborhoods. Just south, is Skateland East. Do you have any memories of this part of town? At one time, this area was strictly country. Now, it is strictly suburbs.

Jamestown is the little Guilford County community located between Greensboro and High Point. It has a tremendous amount of history in less than three square miles. Just up the road from Dr. Shubal Coffin's house is this little, old-timey gas station (photographed above). Time seems to have stood still here, while Jamestown is changing before our eyes. If you haven't ventured down there lately, Main Street is becoming quite a destination for restaurants.

We can't help but wonder what will become of this Mayberry/Andy Griffith-looking, High Point Road filling station. By the way, if you live in High Point, the road is known as Greensboro Road. We're betting that the roof on this little slice of Americana came from the Pomona Terra Cotta Works in Greensboro. While we hope you are enjoying the present, and dreaming of the future; we hope you have a little time to appreciate the history around you.

The above photo features the organic produce section at Whole Foods in Friendly Shopping Center. With three supermarket-sized natural food stores in Greensboro, as well as numerous farmers' markets,  organic food is getting easier and easier to find. From Ashevilly to Kitty Hawk, here is an organic food store finder Google "ap" for North Carolina. Organic foods do not contain synthetic inputs, nor do they have pesticides. The organic, Green Food Revolution took hold in the 1940's and has been growing ever since. While there is controversy about whether organic food is better for you than commercially grown, conventional food, there is something wholesome about knowing your food hasn't been genetically modified or sprayed with chemicals. Let us remember, until the 20th century, the majority of farming was organic. Organic is the ORIGINAL, old-timey way to grow food.*

Today is ABC Wednesday and for this round, we're featuring A-Z GO GREEN Greensboro and "O" is for original, ordinary, and ORGANIC, the way grandma, and nature intended food to be. Yes, we know there are two sides to this story. AND, Greensboro has several businesses that rely on chemicals and chemical processes. Maybe for the next round of ABC Wednesday, we'll feature science of Greensboro. In the meantime, we're off to plant some organic chard in the yard! Happy ABC Wednesday!

*Wiki organic food reference.

Banjo + Bass + Fiddle + Mandolin = String Band!  The Zink Kings are an old-time music band that plays around Greensboro at places that appreciate acoustic music- like Tate Street Coffee House. This past weekend, the Zink Kings performed at Earthfare Organic and Whole Foods Super Market on Battleground Avenue. They provided the entertainment during the supermarket's 'Burgers for Bucks' event. 

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, we will start to see more and more outdoor music events in Greensboro. And, the best part is that many of them are free. So, keep a lawn chair and your dancing shoes in your trunk. You never know when you will stumble upon one of these great events.

If you want to hear what the Zink Kings sound like, here is a link to a you tube video.

 

The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge Road is starting to come alive again. Farmers are out with plants, trees, and some food items. With the Easter egg hunt behind them, the next big event is the Herb Festival on Saturday, April 20th from 8:00 am- 5:00 pm. Greenshouse Vegetable Day will be on Friday, April 26th from 1:00 am-1:00 pm. That event is sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and comes with a free tomato sandwich. The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market is one of five that is overseen by the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture. Steve Troxler is Commissioner of Agriculture. The mission statement for the organization is: (t)o provide services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians (reference). 

We heard a food segment on NPR the other day and they said that the closer children are to fresh fruits and vegetables (like tomatoes), the more likely they are to eat them; with the "closest" being to actually grow the food and to eat what is harvested. Parents were overheard teaching their young children this past Sunday, allowing them to have some choice in the plants purchased and another family allowing children to pick produce. The farmers market is such an educational place to spend an afternoon. Remember to consider planting as many edibles as possible. We already purchased our chard so that we can continue our tradition of chard in the yard and so fun to eat from the flower bed. Try it, Greensboro!

Greensboro was built on the textile industry and was, for most of the 20th century,  a world leader in the industry. Our city was especially known for cotton, denim, flannel & corduroy. Greensboro's Cone Mills was also known as the largest manufacturer of denim in the world. The above photo was taken of a mill in the Yanceyville area. 

The sun breaking through the clouds and the three large smoke stacks evoke the image of three crosses on this Good Friday. Most Christians will celebrate Easter this weekend.*  Church crosses will be draped in black today and many people will be out for  prayer vigils.  It is funny how, when pondering Easter, items, including textile mill smokestacks, seem to appear in threes.

In addition to the church events this weekend, the community is gearing up for many Easter egg hunts. One of the biggest will be the Greensboro Country Club. Their hunt starts at 8:00 am on Saturday morning and over 6,000 eggs will be hidden. That is a lot of eggs.  The Piedmont/Triad Farmers' Market will also have an egg hunt, as will the North Carolina Zoo, Burlington, Winston-Salem, Old-Salem, and more. From lay to secular, Christian/Jewish or other, whatever you do this weekend, we hope your time is memorable.

 

*Orthodox Christians have one of their latest Easters this year. Their Easter will fall on May 5th.

Last week, we took you to Stoney Mountain Farm where professional shearers were on site to give the sheep their "North Carolina summer cuts". Today, we share a close up of sheep in the catching pen.  In the photo, some of them are shorn (fleeced- we joke) and some are still awaiting their annual cut. It is amazing how being shorn makes the sheep behave differently. They jump for joy and wiggle around and then resume their normal stance.  They are like poodles at a grooming. As with poodles, you almost don't recognize the sheep in the before and after shots. The sheep in the front row center was about the same color as the sheep immediately behind his backside. Once the wool was gone, she looked so bright.

While life in North Carolina is not quite like it was in medieval England where it was a June event culminating in a feast, it can be a fun event when farms like Stoney Mountain share the experience with the public. The largest sheep shearing and handling contest is the Golden Shears event held in New Zealand. If you are left wanting to know more, visit here.  With this weather change, these creatures were probably cold last night. We know we were!

The Reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse is happening this weekend. If you are local, head over to the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and see a living history event, FOR FREE. Everything from the music to the lectures to the battles to the talking to reenacters is educational and free to the public. The reenactors will be there rain or shine. People who like to reenact usually go to the same events as their uniforms are expensive and costly to maintain. If you have committed to outfitting yourself as a redcoat, likely you will play that role when and where you can. 

This year is the 232nd anniversary of a battle that was said to be a turning point in the Revolutionary War (see more here). Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Green fought in this war. If you can't attend on Saturday, they'll be back on Sunday. As a matter of fact, they camp out in the park in tents that haven't changed much in the last two hundred years. We love the way, in the above photo, that the woman seems to be giving the men their marching orders.

Between ACC basketball and the battle, we don't know how we'll fit everything in! If you are out and about, please make our out of town guests feel welcome!

On Sunday, our ride out Highway 150 landed us at Stoney Mountain Farm in Alamance County. The Brewer family opened their farm to the public for their annual sheep sheering day. In the above photo, you see a professional shearer (on loan from West Virginia) getting the fleece from a sheep in two minutes. Once the shearer finished, he put the fleece in a 39 gallon garbage bag and untethered the sheep from between his knees. The sheep invariably did a quick run, a shimmy hop, and then headed back to their pack, unencumbered with their winter coat.

Stoney Mountain Farm has an eco-friendly, wool product line that they care for from the minute the wool starts growing on the sheep until it is shorn, carded, spun, and made into something special to wear. By chance, they have about the same number of sheep as they do acres (mid-60's) to tend. Typical of old, North Carolina farms, the Brewer's land has several outbuildings. Not so typical, one of the buildings is a house that was built in the 1800's. Above, you see the old barn where the sheep live. If you even get a chance to visit one of our area's working farms, we suggest taking advantage of the offer. A picture is worth a thousand words and a farm visit will yield a thousand pictures. That's a lot of fun. That's a lot of words....... and a lot of photos..........

 

Today's photo is of the old farmhouse where yesterday's Fordson tractor is parked, across from Faucette Farms. We were struck by the symmetry of the farmhouse. At first glance, it is as if the two sides of the house are the same. If you look closely, there are minor differences. For example the window on the left-middle is smaller than the one on the right; the chimney's are different colors. Regardless, it is a fine example of a symmetrical, wooden structures of rural North Carolina. As with  the tractor, it has seen its day; however, it is nice to be able to show our children the way grandma used to live. Wouldn't it be nice to have the this old farmhouse restored. It could be one of those places where Sunday dinner is served. A nice portion of fried chicken and lots of country vegetables would keep people coming from miles around. The best part would be if veggies were walked from the farm across the street. Now that would be eating local.

Leonardo da Vinci's paintings accentuated the symmetry of the human body. In the book Symmetry: A Journey into the Patterns of Nature, Marcus du Satoy explores symmetry in nature and points to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain as a great example of symmetry in architecture.* Somehow, they could incorporate identifying different types of symmetry into the dining experience. It is a good thing we don't have limitless disposable income or we'd be investing in all kinds of dream ventures. Happy Tuesday, dear readers! We're sharing this with Our World Tuesday.

*reference.

The weather was so lovely this weekend, it called for a Sunday drive. We hadn't spent much time in the northeastern end of Guilford County lately so, yesterday, we got on Highway 150 at the end of Strawberry Road and drove east until we ended up in Caswell County. If you live in the city limits and surrounding areas of Greensboro, it might be hard to remember what rural North Carolina looked like.On Highway 150, once you cross under Highway 29, you start seeing lots of tobacco barns, plowed fields, and other signs of yesteryear. The above tractor was no exception. It is an early model Fordson parked near Faucette Farms.

Fordson was a brand name for general-purpose tractors produced by Henry Ford & Son, Inc. The first Fordsons were made in 1917 and the name was last used in 1964. Ford experimented with using automobile components in the tractors. The Fordson was the first affordable, small, lightweight, mass-produced tractor in the world. * From the looks of the above relic, we could well have one of the early prototypes right here in Guilford County.

It is hard to believe that it is already time to start working the soil. Spring has started sprouting up in Greensboro. Wonder if the Faucettes ever fire up the Fordson. Imagine getting behind that beauty on a Sunday drive!

*reference.

This is the small, old barn that goes with the old house from Monday. It is a classic, North Carolina structure of yesteryear right here on North College Road. A  large apartment complex is in the backyard and commercial structures are found on the other three sides. However, for this little slice of land near Guilford College, time stands still. The white cat in front of the hedges seemed mighty proud of her abode. Perhaps she was on her way to look for a mouse or two. While this probably isn't a tobacco barn, it is an example of the old rural structures that are disappearing before our eyes. If you are interested, here is a preservation site about barns shared by the National Park Service. We are lucky to have so many barns in the Greensboro area. If you are nostalgic for North Carolina barns, there is a whole flickr group dedicated to them (here).

Tomorrow, the March 1 theme for the City Daily Photo community is cafe chairs. We're try to get out and feature some. At any rate, we'll have something for you tomorrow. Also, if you are local, this will be a might big "First Friday" in downtown Greensboro. Please stop back and see what we can uncover; please stop downtown and help us kick off a great event for art lovers. 

This house is located in the 500 block of North College Road, across from Cheryl David's law office. It is amazing how rural this property looks, a main house with two outbuildings, considering it is so near Quaker Village and all of the professional offices in the neighborhood. This photo was taken in an asphalt parking lot of an office building looking onto the property. It is just down the road from Guilford College and, as the crow flies is not much more than a mile from Coble Farm on West Friendly.  We imagine the neighborhood looked a lot more like the scene above as recently as thirty years ago. Now, the road from Friendly to West Market street is slowly becoming lot to lot retail and professional buildings. It would be nice to keep a homestead or two like this preserved in the area so that children could know the way their ancestors lived in rural America. Next time you drive down North College road, look for this place. It is perched on a hill, beyond a cement wall. It has a lovely front porch and nice gingerbread detailing. It is so cozy...... and within walking distance to practically everything!

Continuing with the "sign" theme of Greensboro Daily Photo this week, for today's installment, we bring you Pleasant Garden Drug Store. In business since 1952, they bill themselves as "a modern pharmacy with a small town feel." This family pharmacy is one of those places that seems trapped in the mid-twentieth century. Do not be fooled, one look at their website will tell you that they can fill your prescription online. And, their prices are said to be the lowest in southeast Guilford County. This store, like a hometown hardware store, is one of those places where you can get little odds and ends that you can't find anywhere else. You can probably find some of the old-timey items like eye wash cups and netie pots to vaporizers and Greensboro's own Vicks VapoRub. You can also get state of the art products, too. Best of all, you get great advice from their three pharmacists. And, usually a little neighborhood news is available. It has been a while since we've seen a store sign that said nothing but-- DRUGS.

Piedmont Winterfest, outdoor skating in downtown Greensboro, is fun for young and old alike. Yesterday's below freezing temperatures made it seem especially appropriate to be downtown skating in our own little "Rockerfeller Center"- even if it is just temporary. If you are looking somthing family-oriented to do today, consider heading to the rink on Davie Street at Festival Park. The brighter the clothing you wear, the more fun you are guaranteed to have. As they say in the carols, "it's Christmastime in the city." Anytime you see families having this much fun and getting  exercise at the same time, you know the event is a good one.

    We close out the week in the back yard of Deep Roots Market. The above property is located at the corner of Brevard St. and Merritt Drive, back where Merritt dead ends into Wendover Avenue.  Likely, this house would have been old farmland or even part of John Van Lindley's nursery at the end of the 1800's. This area was part of the Pamona Cotton Mill community that was prospering at the beginning of the 20th century. You know a house is old when standing beside it is a tree three times the size.

    On down the street from this scene, at 2:00 today, the First Moravian Church will open their Candle Tea which will continue tomorrow, too. Also on December 1st, the Jaycee's 76th Christmas Parade in Downtown Greensboro will be held as will Candlefest will be held in the Arboretum tomorrow night. The Advent season is upon us and Greensboro will be busy celebrating up a storm. So much tradition for all who are interested in winter holidays. Next Friday will be First Friday downtown as well as the Festival of Lights. And, while you are out driving from venue to venue, take time to look at scenes, like the one above, reflecting on the way life was in simpler times- back before blog, website, wireless, and touchscreen were even words. Enjoy seeing the expansive, bare tree branches and the little houses beside them. Pace yourself!

    Wednesday's pre-dawn moon was almost a full moon. The actual full moon rose on Wednesday evening. It is known as the known as the Full Frost Moon as, by this time of year, there has been a hard frost. Alternatively, November's full moon is called the Full Beaver Moon, stemming from when traps were set for beavers who are busily preparing for winter. Traps are set before swamps freeze. Such is the lore of the North Carolina mountains. Here in Greensboro, we don't do as much bever pelt gathering. In the middle of the last century, beavers were rare in North Caroina. Restocking efforts took place through the 1950's and now, quantity has increase, range has expanded, and beavers are not rare. Beaver trapping is open, statewide, from November 1st- March 31st.

    The last time we shared a moon shot on Greensboro Daily Photo, Mr. Preston Earle posted a comment with us about how to get good moon shots. He was an engineer, which is evident in his comment. Mr. Earle departed earth on January 2nd, 2012 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Local journalist Ed Cone said it best: "Preston Earle had the rare ability to disagree without being disagreeable" (Cone). What a legacy..... to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. The world could use a little more of that trait. Let's dedicate today's moon shot to Mr. Earle, a man who shared a love of Greensboro as well as taking the- ever elusive- perfect moon photo.

* a great article here. 

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. We are thankful for yet another year of being able to share photos of the people and places of the borough of Greene with you. We are approaching our fourth year of posting, daily. To quote Mr. GDP, "Daily comes around rather quickly." Currently, our laptop is in the shop, Time-Warner cable is out at the house and we are posting from a coffee shop on a borrowed computer. So, please bear with us if posts are late, poorly edited, or abbreviated. Please say yes if we knock on your door and ask to use your computer!

Today's photo takes us back to the early years of Greensboro via the recent living history of America's soldiers and wars; the event was held in Guilford Courthouse Military Park. The above scene is of civil war soldiers resting at their encampment. Today, we are thankful that our fifty states are at relative peace with one another now that the elections are behind us. We are thankful that slowly, the east coast is getting back to normal after the destructive weather event dubbed "Sandy." We are thankful to be with family and friends. In an odd way, we are thankful to be without Internet connectivity and television so that we can focus on fellowship. Maybe we will even play a game of checkers. Let us know what you are up to!

Last night, hundreds of people braved the winds of Hurricane Sandy to watch and celebrate the premiere of Paula Damasceno's documentary film about the Carolina Theatre. Carolina 85 features the glamourous as well as the rocky history of the theater. At the time it opened on October 31st, 1927, the 2,200-seat Carolina Theatre was the showcase of the Carolinas. In the documentary, one patron called it, a "palace for the poor." People could go and bask in the "light of the dark" to enjoy a movie. Damasceno documents the theater's transformation from a seggreated venue to one one that embraces diversity. The film documents the theater's many other obstacles, including surviving the decline of downtown Greensboro, financial struggles, structural setbacks, and extensive fire damage. 

The above photo features the reception and partaking of the birthday cake onstage, at the conclusion of the documentary. All were invited to the afterparty, a befitting gesture appropriate for Damasceno's humble demeanor. She made it clear that, for her, "The community, who support this theater, make it beautiful." Thank you, Paula Damasceno, and all involved, for documenting the history of one of Greensboro's cultural treasures. In the above photo, Damasceno, second from the left, has her right arm extended in conversation with an attendee (quite possibly the youngest) who was extremely interested in film.

                                                                    

Fall is upon us in North Carolina. In the mountains, the leaves are moving into peak season, a little past at the highest elevations. Greensboro is not quite at peak; however, this weekend would be a great one to take a day trip and enjoy the season. Appalachian State University's biology department maintains a fall color report to help estimate the timing of fall color peaks for the various NC regions.

Above, you see the native persimmon, diospyros virginiana, nicknamed the possom apple. In North Carolina, the Scotch-Irish families have been enjoying persimmon pudding and other dishes since moving into the state in the 1700's and the Native Americans were eating the sticky, glue-like pulp long before colonial times. Fullsteam Brewery in Durham puts a different spin on the fruit, making it into beer. They will even pay $3 a pound for fruit, as long as it is picked at peak readiness and they don't have an overabundant supply. 

With the loss of farmland in the Piedmont area around Greensboro, the native persimmon is not readily abundant. Consider planting a few trees on your property if you are in the position to do so. Unfortunately, the native persimmon doesn't like to be crowded and it takes a male and female tree to get fruit. As fussy as nature can be, it is hard to believe that these these used to be everywhere.

Sorry for the late post. Time Warner Cable is coming out a second time today to see why we don't have internet access at our house.( Thanks to wi-fi at a local coffee shop, we're able to post). If the TWC worker gets our internet fixed, we just may fix him a 'simmon puddin.'

just waiting to be made into persimmon pudding, lest they be devoured by birds.

We're back in McAdoo Heights today to show you a little piece of history. The above home, located at 1918 Golden Gate Drive is significant because, it is said to be the last remaining shotgun house in all of Greensboro that is still used as a house (reference).  This red shingled shotgun, with the white addition in the front, perched above a cement retaining wall, is easily unnoticed as one drives down Golden Gate Drive. 

Shotgun houses were the most popular type of house in the southern states of the USA from the time of the Civil War until the 1920's. Shotgun houses are houses that are usually 12' or less wide and the rooms are built one behind the other without and hallway. Typically, you go from the front porch to the living room to a bedroom (or two) to a back room/kitchen to the back porch.*  They were called shotgun houses because if you fired a gun through the front door, the bullet would go all the way out the back door without hitting anything. This once prevalent model of housing fell out of favor in the 1940's, and, after WWII, was considered substandard. In Greensboro, many houses of this style were torn down during the redevelopment of east Greensboro in the 1960's (reference). 

With that addition in front, it looks like the above home has changed its orientation from front to back to side to side. Shotgun houses are efficient because no space is wasted on hallways; however, they are pretty inconvenient when someone has to walk through your bedroom in the middle of the night to get to the bathroom. Being the last of something, we think the neighborhood (or the city..... or HGTV..) should treat this 644 square foot,  two-bedroom, 1935 home to a restoration-makeover..... landscape and all. It is part of our mill town's history.

 

*reference.... Perhaps the most famous person to have been born in one was Elvis Presley.

 

McAdoo Heights is a neighborhood located just south of State Street, between Elm and Church Streets, on the fringe of Old Irving Park. It was developed in the early 1900's as a commercial and residential community for mill workers. The close-knit community, known as a "town within a city,"  flourished until the 1940's (reference). It had restaurants, a hardware store, grocery stores, a movie theater, a school,many churches, and its own police officer. Street names include: Golden Gate, Newlyn, Macy, Bernard, Roseland, Buffalo, Georgia, Palm, and Shelton. In earlier years, it was also known as "The Heights."

As we drove around this neighborhood last weekend, we did get a sense of the charm of McAdoo Heights. The community garden, on Golden Gate Drive, is just lovely. Many houses are decorated for Halloween and and, the day we were there, several families out enjoying the fall afternoon. The above house, at 200 East Newlyn Street is larger than many of the one-story mill houses in the neighborhood. It was built in the 1928, also a little earlier than many in the neighborhood. The high triangles of the peaked roofline at the entrance are quite welcoming and the light blue door makes it clear where one it to enter. We'd like to think it has the character of an "anchor" house for the neighborhood the way it stands, in all its glory, on the corner of Georgia and East Newlyn.

We wonder if there is a connection between McAdoo Heights and the retired, professional basketball star, Bob McAdoo who is from Greensboro. He graduated from Smith High School (in the late 1960's) and is currently an assistant coach for the Miami Heat. Maybe Coach McAdoo is the keeper of some great information about this cozy little neighborhood with his same name. Any and all pieces of information would be greatly appreciated.

Today is ABC Wednesday and M is for McAdoo Heights. For our A-L neighborhood pages, look here.

 

*informative reference here.

In Greensboro, the temperature dropped significantly yesterday, from what felt like 80 degrees on Saturday to in the 50's on Sunday. Above, you see the produce that we harvested from our back yard yesterday. Chez Mr. and Mrs. GDP, we've opted to nurse along our summer garden a little more, as opposed to being good southerners and planting cold crops (turnips, collards, radishes, mixed greens, broccoli, etc.). We still have okra (purple & green), a few cherry tomatoes, and eggplant.

Additionally, the fruit on our saijo persimmon tree is now ripe. It was so abundant this year that the top snapped off under the weight of the fruit. Saijo means "the very best one" in Japanese and rightfully so. The saijo persimmon doesn't need a pollinator tree, is disease resistent and is hardy in our planting zone. Wish us luck that the remaining half of the two-year-old tree will continue to grow. The photo shows about 1/4 of the fruit from the little tree so you can see what we mean by abundant. We have already turned the pulp from these persimmons into persimmon cake. Although we've enjoyed the fruit, we regret not pruning the tree back and learned our lesson the hard way.

One of Mr. GDP's favorite childhood foods was persimmon pudding, made with wild, native persimmons. The wild variety is labor intensive to prepare for use in the kitchen. The seeds are large and the amount of pulp significantly less than the Asian varieties. It is getting harder to find native persimmons. If you see some for sale, or better yet, free for the picking, please let us know. With each generation, there are fewer and fewer memories of seasonal foods. Just about any food one wants can be imported from somewhere these days. However, nothing beats the spicy tastes of fall... consumed in October and November! Making native persimmon pudding is a North Carolina tradition and is still on our to-do list.

Yesterday, Bethel Presbyterian Church*  held a special ceremony to honor all veterans and members of the Armed Forces affiliated with their church. The program started with a welcome and invocation by the church's pastor, Rev. Paul L. Rhodes. Several veterans and service organizations participated in the service. The event was organized partly to honor the 200 year history of the church and its members.

A rifle salute and cannon salute were conducted by people in uniforms of previous wars. The people in the above photo were dressed in period attire to represent the US Civil War. The woman on the left belongs to the Society of the Black Rose. This organization was established in 1998 to help with memorial services. Wearing a complete period mourning outfit, she is present to remind people of the loss of life during the Civil War.  The Black Rose was named in honor of Rose O'Neal Greenhow, who lost her life trying to help the Confederate Cause.  

The Bethel event also included a flag retirement ceremony and the presentation and raising of a new flag. This fine ceremony was educational to many and meaningful to all who attended.

*Read our earlier post on Bethel Presbyterian here.

As of yesterday, it is Central Carolina Fair Time at the Greensboro Coliseum Grounds. This is the 114th year for this grand event. We suggest heading over as soon as possible to see all of the exhibits while they are still fresh and newly judged. Who will have grown those blue ribbon vegetables? Who will have the best chili? Who will the judges be? Will the rainbow rooster be back? What will be new this year? Here is a list of the exhibits. The Charlie Daniels Band will be playing on Sunday.

The fair will be going strong until 11pm tonight and for eight more days, closing at 8pm on September 23rd. This is such a great family tradition, we suggest you give it a try. Who knows, Mr. Zuckerman and his famous pic might even be there.

Pergolas have been around for a long time. "Pergola" originated in Late Latin, meaning projecting eave. Traditionally, pergolas are covered with woody, twisting vines. The word first appeared in Italian in 1645. The above wooden pergola is located just outside Cheesecakes by Alex at 315 South Elm Street. Owner/baker Alex Amoroso is usually on-site making cheesecakes or consulting with clients. You can be pretty sure that if he is sitting under this pergola, he is working- possibly helping someone choose from the approximately twenty flavors. And when you created the recipes, even eating the finished product is working!

There is a good chance that Alex and his loyal customers will have to sacrifce this location and pergola as the Weaver Investment Company will likely build an office building on the vacant lot they own, beside the pergola. Cheesecakes by Alex has been around since 2002. Let's hope they are they remain downtown for another decade or two- at least. In the meantime, you'll have plenty of nice days this summer and fall to eat a slice of cheesecake and check out the view from the pergola.

From time to time it is fun to feature the little details of Greensboro that add to the local character. While most street lights today are are those bright, silver, buzzinng ones, the above lights represent a bygone era of clear, large-base, filament Edison bulbs. These lights are located on Spring Garden Street, at Howard Street across from Josephines and down from the entrance to Lindley Park. The ones around it have been replaced. We don't imagine these lights were very energy efficient; however, the sure are charming. If you are really interested in street lights, Wikipedia actually has some interesting photos and test (here). Some of the most interesting features of our city aren't at eye level!

We doubt these lights are unique worldwide; however, a google search of street lights didn't reveal any like this old-school duo. We hope they help you light up you weekend. Hope to see you donning your best fairy wings at the Summer Solstice Festival on the other end of Lindley's property at the Arboretum and Lindley Park.

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd.* This 1908 song is the unofficial anthem of baseball. While it is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch, the song is on the tip of everyone's tongue when they think of baseball. The Greensboro Grasshoppers won't be playing at home until their Memorial Day game on Monday; however, the above photo reminds us that it is a holiday weekend-- a time for family and friends... and photos galore. The stadium is the perfect place to get a postcard perfect picture with the word GREENSBORO, providing a sense of Americana to your photo.

Currently, the Bryan Foundation owns the stadium; however, the ownership group of the Grasshoppers is hoping to purchase the stadium. The ownership issue has created a little bit of controversy. The important thing is for the stadium to remain the affordable, vibrant place for family-friendly fun. Greensboro loves its baseball. May "take me out to the ballgame" ring loud and clear for decades to come. Happy Friday, dear readers. 

 

*reference.

According to their website, Stamey's BBQ has been "serving real North Carolina barbecue and southern hospitality since 1930." They cook BBQ "the old fashioned way," over hickory wood coals. In the photo above, you see the heart of what gives Stamey's Lexington-style, BBQ their great flavor... not just the sauce but also the hardwood. The brick pits are are kept at a tightly controlled temperature to ensure that the flavor, texture, and moisture level of the cooked meat is perfect. This Stamey's location, at 2206 High Point Road, has been open since 1953. It is convenient for people attending avents at the Coliseum Complex.

If you follow GDP, you know we LOVE it when businesses, churches, organizations and institutions (and even people) make their history available online. Archiving information for future generations is so important. Stamey's has done a great job of writing up their history. Read its history here. Next time we will feature a photo of Stamey's food that we will be EATING. This photo was taken on a Sunday, the only day Stamey's takes a day of rest, so we couldn't stop in to enjoy their BBQ. Hummmmmm. We think we just figured out what to eat for dinner tonight!

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted Bible verses. It has been said that it is the "Gospel in a nutshell" (more here).

We got the woodburned keychain free at the checkout counter of Ace Hardware on West Market Street. Old-timey hardware stores and barbershops is the U.S. South are famous for homemade give-aways. Sometimes the same person makes an item for a store for years and it becomes the store's trademark item. Often, there is humor associated with the items. When used to go to the barbershop on the corner of Lees Chapel and Church Street, the barber gave away hand-painted 1" birdhouses. Actually, he called them mosquito houses. For sure these give-aways are conversation pieces, and that's what we southerners like most-- a chance for fellowship..... eternally.

Strawberry picking is an early spring tradition in North Carolina. This weekend, we had a chance to visit R&M Strawberry Farm, right across the county line, on Highway 150. Although it is in Forsyth County, it is not too far from Oak Ridge Military Academy. To many Guilford County residents, R&M Farm is closer than the strawberry farms in the eastern and southern ends of the county. They all resemble each other: A central barn or check-in point, an opportunity to pick your own or pay more for pints already picked. Here is a website to find a strawberry farm in NC, get picking tips, and learn how to use the strawberries in your kitchen.

The first garden strawberry was cultivated in France in the late 1700's and, over the years, the fruit continues to be cultivated to make it redder, bigger and juicier. Strawberries are a low-in-calorie, excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.

In the above photo, other than the clothing of the pickers, the scene hasn't changed much over the centuries.We were very impressed at how well behaved the children were. They were very respectful of the delicate strawberry plants. If you could see what was beyond the lens, you would see that so much of this rural land in the Greensboro area is being converted to housing. Get your strawberries while they last! Happy Monday, dear readers.

House on Church

Today's house is located on Church Street, across from Cone Elementary School. Likely, it was a mill house for a family whose members worked at the nearby textile mills. The Cone Mills community was close knit; houses were built in the day when neighbors knew each other. Families spent time on porches and walking around in the neighborhood. Also, getting from point a to point b often involved walking or catching a ride with a co-worker. In the glory days of the mill communities, everybody knew each other.

This outside of the above little white house is spotless and the yard is well cared for, hinting that the owner probably lives there. In the mid-20th century and earlier, smaller homes were common. We predict that the post-McMansion Generation will seek houses like the one above. If you think about it, the younger generation is growing up with "rooms full of stuff" consolidated onto their computer desktop: games, photos, scrapbooks, music, videos, clocks, paperwork, school assignments, books, magazines, you name it. If you are driving around town this weekend, visit Greensboro's mill villages and imagine yourself in one of these historical little homes. Greensboro is right there with the rest of America: Small is the new big. 

Alice Gerrard

Saturday night, Triad Acoustic Stage brought Alice Gerrard to Greensboro for a grand  evening of acoustic music. The event, photographed above, was held at Mack and Mack's clothing design house on South Elm Street. The venue makes you feel as if you are listening to music in someone's living room surrounded by all the clothing they are plannig to take on vacation. It gives you that old-timey feeling of when people would clear out a room or two in their house and host an old-time dance. You were close enough to the performers to be part of their impromptu jokes and could hear their comments to each other. Intimate and inviting. 

Since the late 1950's, Americana music- especially bluegrass and old-time- has been a driving force in Alice Gerrard's  life. Most of the people close to Alice were entrenched in the folk music scene of the 1960's and 1970's. During that time, Alice partnered with Hazel Dickens, performing and recording songs about coal mines, hard times, bittersweet aspects of life, and other reflective, soul searching themes. Sometimes a bit jazzy, sometimes bluesy; sometimes accompained and at others unaccompanied, Alice's performances are always special.  In the above photo, she is featured with four other FABULOUS musicians, from left to right, Laurelyn Dossett, Scott Manring, Alice Gerrard, Carl Jones, and Elizabeth Bahnson. 

Crawfish Boil

This FARM BUREAU bench may be empty now, but it will be full of people this weekend when the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market hosts the Crawfish Boil. The event is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Crawfish are $6 a pound live and $7 cooked. During growing and harvest seasons, the farmers' market- on Sandy Ridge out by the airport- tries to have themed events or promotions severas weekends a month. 

Do you remember that the NC Commissioner of Agriculture, Steve Troxler, is from Guilford County? Since his department is sponsoring the Crawfish Boil, perhaps he'll be there greeting people. Head on out, have some good cajun fun, and see if you can see Mr. Troxler. He has been in farming his whole life, so, likely, he could tell you some great stories about farming. Hope to see you there!

U is for Urban Horticulture

Urban Horticulture is now a major at Greensboro's NCA&T University. Through this major, students learn techniques for producing horticultural crops in the limited space of urban environments. You learn to plant as much as possible in these often wasted spaces: herbs, flowers, and crops in spaces. Cement and barren patches of dirt become lush and green. The A&T curriculum is geared towards food production; however, the ornamental component of urban horticulture is also addressed.

The above photo was taken at the corner of Wright Avenue and Kensington Road, down the street from UNCG. As you can see, the property owners take advantage of that strip of dirt between the city sidewalk and the road by filling it with greenery. They have been practicing urban horticulture for twenty years or so, long before most people were talking about it, much less practicing it.

Hats off to NCA&T for being trend setters in their Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Systems. Today is ABC Wednesday and for GO GREEN Greensboro, "U" is for Urban Horticulture. It isn't too late to go outside and plant something. Consider requesting permission to plant something in an unused space beside your favorite coffee shop or retail store. The price of a pack of seeds could bring the community great joy.

Gone Fishin'

Ahhhh summer! Here we see a jon boat with two men fishing on Lake Brandt near Strawberry Road and Highway 220. From Highway 220 , the scene is completely bucolic- two men in a boat fishing, surrounded by cattails, countryside and a tranquil shoreline. From Strawberry Road, the scene is the one photographed above- completely tranquil until you look at the horizon line and realize that the ever-expanding Highway 220 is nearby. To be sure, the road needs to be expanded. In the 21st century, we need to balance protecting our natural resources and undeveloped land with developing the infrastructure sufficiently.

Somehow, we don't think the two men in the jon boat were waxing philosophical about urban development and highway expansion. Likely, they were experiencing mental stasis, putting thoughts on complete hold,; everything, that is, except for the thought of catching a bass or catfish on this 816-acre municipal reservoir.

On Church Street

Church Street is changing before our eyes. This photo of the corner of Church Street and Pisgah Church (Lees Chapel)  Road shows one of the buildings of yesteryear. At one time, Church Super Market, was a barber shop with an older barber who would give his young clients mosquito houses. They were shaped like bird houses and about the size of a quarter. Likely, given the FOR RENT SIGN from last year, it is already something else and not inconceivable that the bilding will be torn down to become a 21st-century franchise. Don't you love the way the businesses are painted different colors? So clever and practical.

Canterbury School is located about a mile up the road and, beyond that, the Lake Jeanette neighborhoods. Just south, is Skateland East. Do you have any memories of this part of town? At one time, this area was strictly country. Now, it is strictly suburbs.

Filling Station in Jamestown (North Carolina)

Jamestown is the little Guilford County community located between Greensboro and High Point. It has a tremendous amount of history in less than three square miles. Just up the road from Dr. Shubal Coffin's house is this little, old-timey gas station (photographed above). Time seems to have stood still here, while Jamestown is changing before our eyes. If you haven't ventured down there lately, Main Street is becoming quite a destination for restaurants.

We can't help but wonder what will become of this Mayberry/Andy Griffith-looking, High Point Road filling station. By the way, if you live in High Point, the road is known as Greensboro Road. We're betting that the roof on this little slice of Americana came from the Pomona Terra Cotta Works in Greensboro. While we hope you are enjoying the present, and dreaming of the future; we hope you have a little time to appreciate the history around you.

O is for Organic

The above photo features the organic produce section at Whole Foods in Friendly Shopping Center. With three supermarket-sized natural food stores in Greensboro, as well as numerous farmers' markets,  organic food is getting easier and easier to find. From Ashevilly to Kitty Hawk, here is an organic food store finder Google "ap" for North Carolina. Organic foods do not contain synthetic inputs, nor do they have pesticides. The organic, Green Food Revolution took hold in the 1940's and has been growing ever since. While there is controversy about whether organic food is better for you than commercially grown, conventional food, there is something wholesome about knowing your food hasn't been genetically modified or sprayed with chemicals. Let us remember, until the 20th century, the majority of farming was organic. Organic is the ORIGINAL, old-timey way to grow food.*

Today is ABC Wednesday and for this round, we're featuring A-Z GO GREEN Greensboro and "O" is for original, ordinary, and ORGANIC, the way grandma, and nature intended food to be. Yes, we know there are two sides to this story. AND, Greensboro has several businesses that rely on chemicals and chemical processes. Maybe for the next round of ABC Wednesday, we'll feature science of Greensboro. In the meantime, we're off to plant some organic chard in the yard! Happy ABC Wednesday!

*Wiki organic food reference.

The Zinc Kings

Banjo + Bass + Fiddle + Mandolin = String Band!  The Zink Kings are an old-time music band that plays around Greensboro at places that appreciate acoustic music- like Tate Street Coffee House. This past weekend, the Zink Kings performed at Earthfare Organic and Whole Foods Super Market on Battleground Avenue. They provided the entertainment during the supermarket's 'Burgers for Bucks' event. 

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, we will start to see more and more outdoor music events in Greensboro. And, the best part is that many of them are free. So, keep a lawn chair and your dancing shoes in your trunk. You never know when you will stumble upon one of these great events.

If you want to hear what the Zink Kings sound like, here is a link to a you tube video.

 

Early April at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge Road is starting to come alive again. Farmers are out with plants, trees, and some food items. With the Easter egg hunt behind them, the next big event is the Herb Festival on Saturday, April 20th from 8:00 am- 5:00 pm. Greenshouse Vegetable Day will be on Friday, April 26th from 1:00 am-1:00 pm. That event is sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and comes with a free tomato sandwich. The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market is one of five that is overseen by the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture. Steve Troxler is Commissioner of Agriculture. The mission statement for the organization is: (t)o provide services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians (reference). 

We heard a food segment on NPR the other day and they said that the closer children are to fresh fruits and vegetables (like tomatoes), the more likely they are to eat them; with the "closest" being to actually grow the food and to eat what is harvested. Parents were overheard teaching their young children this past Sunday, allowing them to have some choice in the plants purchased and another family allowing children to pick produce. The farmers market is such an educational place to spend an afternoon. Remember to consider planting as many edibles as possible. We already purchased our chard so that we can continue our tradition of chard in the yard and so fun to eat from the flower bed. Try it, Greensboro!

Old Mills and Holy Days

Greensboro was built on the textile industry and was, for most of the 20th century,  a world leader in the industry. Our city was especially known for cotton, denim, flannel & corduroy. Greensboro's Cone Mills was also known as the largest manufacturer of denim in the world. The above photo was taken of a mill in the Yanceyville area. 

The sun breaking through the clouds and the three large smoke stacks evoke the image of three crosses on this Good Friday. Most Christians will celebrate Easter this weekend.*  Church crosses will be draped in black today and many people will be out for  prayer vigils.  It is funny how, when pondering Easter, items, including textile mill smokestacks, seem to appear in threes.

In addition to the church events this weekend, the community is gearing up for many Easter egg hunts. One of the biggest will be the Greensboro Country Club. Their hunt starts at 8:00 am on Saturday morning and over 6,000 eggs will be hidden. That is a lot of eggs.  The Piedmont/Triad Farmers' Market will also have an egg hunt, as will the North Carolina Zoo, Burlington, Winston-Salem, Old-Salem, and more. From lay to secular, Christian/Jewish or other, whatever you do this weekend, we hope your time is memorable.

 

*Orthodox Christians have one of their latest Easters this year. Their Easter will fall on May 5th.

Fleece... Going, Going, Gone!

Last week, we took you to Stoney Mountain Farm where professional shearers were on site to give the sheep their "North Carolina summer cuts". Today, we share a close up of sheep in the catching pen.  In the photo, some of them are shorn (fleeced- we joke) and some are still awaiting their annual cut. It is amazing how being shorn makes the sheep behave differently. They jump for joy and wiggle around and then resume their normal stance.  They are like poodles at a grooming. As with poodles, you almost don't recognize the sheep in the before and after shots. The sheep in the front row center was about the same color as the sheep immediately behind his backside. Once the wool was gone, she looked so bright.

While life in North Carolina is not quite like it was in medieval England where it was a June event culminating in a feast, it can be a fun event when farms like Stoney Mountain share the experience with the public. The largest sheep shearing and handling contest is the Golden Shears event held in New Zealand. If you are left wanting to know more, visit here.  With this weather change, these creatures were probably cold last night. We know we were!

Battle of Guilford Courthouse

The Reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse is happening this weekend. If you are local, head over to the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and see a living history event, FOR FREE. Everything from the music to the lectures to the battles to the talking to reenacters is educational and free to the public. The reenactors will be there rain or shine. People who like to reenact usually go to the same events as their uniforms are expensive and costly to maintain. If you have committed to outfitting yourself as a redcoat, likely you will play that role when and where you can. 

This year is the 232nd anniversary of a battle that was said to be a turning point in the Revolutionary War (see more here). Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Green fought in this war. If you can't attend on Saturday, they'll be back on Sunday. As a matter of fact, they camp out in the park in tents that haven't changed much in the last two hundred years. We love the way, in the above photo, that the woman seems to be giving the men their marching orders.

Between ACC basketball and the battle, we don't know how we'll fit everything in! If you are out and about, please make our out of town guests feel welcome!

Stoney Mountain Farm

On Sunday, our ride out Highway 150 landed us at Stoney Mountain Farm in Alamance County. The Brewer family opened their farm to the public for their annual sheep sheering day. In the above photo, you see a professional shearer (on loan from West Virginia) getting the fleece from a sheep in two minutes. Once the shearer finished, he put the fleece in a 39 gallon garbage bag and untethered the sheep from between his knees. The sheep invariably did a quick run, a shimmy hop, and then headed back to their pack, unencumbered with their winter coat.

Stoney Mountain Farm has an eco-friendly, wool product line that they care for from the minute the wool starts growing on the sheep until it is shorn, carded, spun, and made into something special to wear. By chance, they have about the same number of sheep as they do acres (mid-60's) to tend. Typical of old, North Carolina farms, the Brewer's land has several outbuildings. Not so typical, one of the buildings is a house that was built in the 1800's. Above, you see the old barn where the sheep live. If you even get a chance to visit one of our area's working farms, we suggest taking advantage of the offer. A picture is worth a thousand words and a farm visit will yield a thousand pictures. That's a lot of fun. That's a lot of words....... and a lot of photos..........

 

The Old Farmhouse

Today's photo is of the old farmhouse where yesterday's Fordson tractor is parked, across from Faucette Farms. We were struck by the symmetry of the farmhouse. At first glance, it is as if the two sides of the house are the same. If you look closely, there are minor differences. For example the window on the left-middle is smaller than the one on the right; the chimney's are different colors. Regardless, it is a fine example of a symmetrical, wooden structures of rural North Carolina. As with  the tractor, it has seen its day; however, it is nice to be able to show our children the way grandma used to live. Wouldn't it be nice to have the this old farmhouse restored. It could be one of those places where Sunday dinner is served. A nice portion of fried chicken and lots of country vegetables would keep people coming from miles around. The best part would be if veggies were walked from the farm across the street. Now that would be eating local.

Leonardo da Vinci's paintings accentuated the symmetry of the human body. In the book Symmetry: A Journey into the Patterns of Nature, Marcus du Satoy explores symmetry in nature and points to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain as a great example of symmetry in architecture.* Somehow, they could incorporate identifying different types of symmetry into the dining experience. It is a good thing we don't have limitless disposable income or we'd be investing in all kinds of dream ventures. Happy Tuesday, dear readers! We're sharing this with Our World Tuesday.

*reference.

Fordson Tractor on Highway 150

The weather was so lovely this weekend, it called for a Sunday drive. We hadn't spent much time in the northeastern end of Guilford County lately so, yesterday, we got on Highway 150 at the end of Strawberry Road and drove east until we ended up in Caswell County. If you live in the city limits and surrounding areas of Greensboro, it might be hard to remember what rural North Carolina looked like.On Highway 150, once you cross under Highway 29, you start seeing lots of tobacco barns, plowed fields, and other signs of yesteryear. The above tractor was no exception. It is an early model Fordson parked near Faucette Farms.

Fordson was a brand name for general-purpose tractors produced by Henry Ford & Son, Inc. The first Fordsons were made in 1917 and the name was last used in 1964. Ford experimented with using automobile components in the tractors. The Fordson was the first affordable, small, lightweight, mass-produced tractor in the world. * From the looks of the above relic, we could well have one of the early prototypes right here in Guilford County.

It is hard to believe that it is already time to start working the soil. Spring has started sprouting up in Greensboro. Wonder if the Faucettes ever fire up the Fordson. Imagine getting behind that beauty on a Sunday drive!

*reference.

This Old Barn

This is the small, old barn that goes with the old house from Monday. It is a classic, North Carolina structure of yesteryear right here on North College Road. A  large apartment complex is in the backyard and commercial structures are found on the other three sides. However, for this little slice of land near Guilford College, time stands still. The white cat in front of the hedges seemed mighty proud of her abode. Perhaps she was on her way to look for a mouse or two. While this probably isn't a tobacco barn, it is an example of the old rural structures that are disappearing before our eyes. If you are interested, here is a preservation site about barns shared by the National Park Service. We are lucky to have so many barns in the Greensboro area. If you are nostalgic for North Carolina barns, there is a whole flickr group dedicated to them (here).

Tomorrow, the March 1 theme for the City Daily Photo community is cafe chairs. We're try to get out and feature some. At any rate, we'll have something for you tomorrow. Also, if you are local, this will be a might big "First Friday" in downtown Greensboro. Please stop back and see what we can uncover; please stop downtown and help us kick off a great event for art lovers. 

This Old House

This house is located in the 500 block of North College Road, across from Cheryl David's law office. It is amazing how rural this property looks, a main house with two outbuildings, considering it is so near Quaker Village and all of the professional offices in the neighborhood. This photo was taken in an asphalt parking lot of an office building looking onto the property. It is just down the road from Guilford College and, as the crow flies is not much more than a mile from Coble Farm on West Friendly.  We imagine the neighborhood looked a lot more like the scene above as recently as thirty years ago. Now, the road from Friendly to West Market street is slowly becoming lot to lot retail and professional buildings. It would be nice to keep a homestead or two like this preserved in the area so that children could know the way their ancestors lived in rural America. Next time you drive down North College road, look for this place. It is perched on a hill, beyond a cement wall. It has a lovely front porch and nice gingerbread detailing. It is so cozy...... and within walking distance to practically everything!

Pleasant Garden Drug Store

Continuing with the "sign" theme of Greensboro Daily Photo this week, for today's installment, we bring you Pleasant Garden Drug Store. In business since 1952, they bill themselves as "a modern pharmacy with a small town feel." This family pharmacy is one of those places that seems trapped in the mid-twentieth century. Do not be fooled, one look at their website will tell you that they can fill your prescription online. And, their prices are said to be the lowest in southeast Guilford County. This store, like a hometown hardware store, is one of those places where you can get little odds and ends that you can't find anywhere else. You can probably find some of the old-timey items like eye wash cups and netie pots to vaporizers and Greensboro's own Vicks VapoRub. You can also get state of the art products, too. Best of all, you get great advice from their three pharmacists. And, usually a little neighborhood news is available. It has been a while since we've seen a store sign that said nothing but-- DRUGS.

Piedmont Winterfest

Piedmont Winterfest, outdoor skating in downtown Greensboro, is fun for young and old alike. Yesterday's below freezing temperatures made it seem especially appropriate to be downtown skating in our own little "Rockerfeller Center"- even if it is just temporary. If you are looking somthing family-oriented to do today, consider heading to the rink on Davie Street at Festival Park. The brighter the clothing you wear, the more fun you are guaranteed to have. As they say in the carols, "it's Christmastime in the city." Anytime you see families having this much fun and getting  exercise at the same time, you know the event is a good one.

Winter Sky Over Greensboro

    We close out the week in the back yard of Deep Roots Market. The above property is located at the corner of Brevard St. and Merritt Drive, back where Merritt dead ends into Wendover Avenue.  Likely, this house would have been old farmland or even part of John Van Lindley's nursery at the end of the 1800's. This area was part of the Pamona Cotton Mill community that was prospering at the beginning of the 20th century. You know a house is old when standing beside it is a tree three times the size.

    On down the street from this scene, at 2:00 today, the First Moravian Church will open their Candle Tea which will continue tomorrow, too. Also on December 1st, the Jaycee's 76th Christmas Parade in Downtown Greensboro will be held as will Candlefest will be held in the Arboretum tomorrow night. The Advent season is upon us and Greensboro will be busy celebrating up a storm. So much tradition for all who are interested in winter holidays. Next Friday will be First Friday downtown as well as the Festival of Lights. And, while you are out driving from venue to venue, take time to look at scenes, like the one above, reflecting on the way life was in simpler times- back before blog, website, wireless, and touchscreen were even words. Enjoy seeing the expansive, bare tree branches and the little houses beside them. Pace yourself!

(Almost) Full Moon

    Wednesday's pre-dawn moon was almost a full moon. The actual full moon rose on Wednesday evening. It is known as the known as the Full Frost Moon as, by this time of year, there has been a hard frost. Alternatively, November's full moon is called the Full Beaver Moon, stemming from when traps were set for beavers who are busily preparing for winter. Traps are set before swamps freeze. Such is the lore of the North Carolina mountains. Here in Greensboro, we don't do as much bever pelt gathering. In the middle of the last century, beavers were rare in North Caroina. Restocking efforts took place through the 1950's and now, quantity has increase, range has expanded, and beavers are not rare. Beaver trapping is open, statewide, from November 1st- March 31st.

    The last time we shared a moon shot on Greensboro Daily Photo, Mr. Preston Earle posted a comment with us about how to get good moon shots. He was an engineer, which is evident in his comment. Mr. Earle departed earth on January 2nd, 2012 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Local journalist Ed Cone said it best: "Preston Earle had the rare ability to disagree without being disagreeable" (Cone). What a legacy..... to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. The world could use a little more of that trait. Let's dedicate today's moon shot to Mr. Earle, a man who shared a love of Greensboro as well as taking the- ever elusive- perfect moon photo.

* a great article here. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. We are thankful for yet another year of being able to share photos of the people and places of the borough of Greene with you. We are approaching our fourth year of posting, daily. To quote Mr. GDP, "Daily comes around rather quickly." Currently, our laptop is in the shop, Time-Warner cable is out at the house and we are posting from a coffee shop on a borrowed computer. So, please bear with us if posts are late, poorly edited, or abbreviated. Please say yes if we knock on your door and ask to use your computer!

Today's photo takes us back to the early years of Greensboro via the recent living history of America's soldiers and wars; the event was held in Guilford Courthouse Military Park. The above scene is of civil war soldiers resting at their encampment. Today, we are thankful that our fifty states are at relative peace with one another now that the elections are behind us. We are thankful that slowly, the east coast is getting back to normal after the destructive weather event dubbed "Sandy." We are thankful to be with family and friends. In an odd way, we are thankful to be without Internet connectivity and television so that we can focus on fellowship. Maybe we will even play a game of checkers. Let us know what you are up to!

Happy 85th Birthday, Carolina Theatre

Last night, hundreds of people braved the winds of Hurricane Sandy to watch and celebrate the premiere of Paula Damasceno's documentary film about the Carolina Theatre. Carolina 85 features the glamourous as well as the rocky history of the theater. At the time it opened on October 31st, 1927, the 2,200-seat Carolina Theatre was the showcase of the Carolinas. In the documentary, one patron called it, a "palace for the poor." People could go and bask in the "light of the dark" to enjoy a movie. Damasceno documents the theater's transformation from a seggreated venue to one one that embraces diversity. The film documents the theater's many other obstacles, including surviving the decline of downtown Greensboro, financial struggles, structural setbacks, and extensive fire damage. 

The above photo features the reception and partaking of the birthday cake onstage, at the conclusion of the documentary. All were invited to the afterparty, a befitting gesture appropriate for Damasceno's humble demeanor. She made it clear that, for her, "The community, who support this theater, make it beautiful." Thank you, Paula Damasceno, and all involved, for documenting the history of one of Greensboro's cultural treasures. In the above photo, Damasceno, second from the left, has her right arm extended in conversation with an attendee (quite possibly the youngest) who was extremely interested in film.

                                                                    

Autumn is Upon Us

Fall is upon us in North Carolina. In the mountains, the leaves are moving into peak season, a little past at the highest elevations. Greensboro is not quite at peak; however, this weekend would be a great one to take a day trip and enjoy the season. Appalachian State University's biology department maintains a fall color report to help estimate the timing of fall color peaks for the various NC regions.

Above, you see the native persimmon, diospyros virginiana, nicknamed the possom apple. In North Carolina, the Scotch-Irish families have been enjoying persimmon pudding and other dishes since moving into the state in the 1700's and the Native Americans were eating the sticky, glue-like pulp long before colonial times. Fullsteam Brewery in Durham puts a different spin on the fruit, making it into beer. They will even pay $3 a pound for fruit, as long as it is picked at peak readiness and they don't have an overabundant supply. 

With the loss of farmland in the Piedmont area around Greensboro, the native persimmon is not readily abundant. Consider planting a few trees on your property if you are in the position to do so. Unfortunately, the native persimmon doesn't like to be crowded and it takes a male and female tree to get fruit. As fussy as nature can be, it is hard to believe that these these used to be everywhere.

Sorry for the late post. Time Warner Cable is coming out a second time today to see why we don't have internet access at our house.( Thanks to wi-fi at a local coffee shop, we're able to post). If the TWC worker gets our internet fixed, we just may fix him a 'simmon puddin.'

just waiting to be made into persimmon pudding, lest they be devoured by birds.

Shotgun House

We're back in McAdoo Heights today to show you a little piece of history. The above home, located at 1918 Golden Gate Drive is significant because, it is said to be the last remaining shotgun house in all of Greensboro that is still used as a house (reference).  This red shingled shotgun, with the white addition in the front, perched above a cement retaining wall, is easily unnoticed as one drives down Golden Gate Drive. 

Shotgun houses were the most popular type of house in the southern states of the USA from the time of the Civil War until the 1920's. Shotgun houses are houses that are usually 12' or less wide and the rooms are built one behind the other without and hallway. Typically, you go from the front porch to the living room to a bedroom (or two) to a back room/kitchen to the back porch.*  They were called shotgun houses because if you fired a gun through the front door, the bullet would go all the way out the back door without hitting anything. This once prevalent model of housing fell out of favor in the 1940's, and, after WWII, was considered substandard. In Greensboro, many houses of this style were torn down during the redevelopment of east Greensboro in the 1960's (reference). 

With that addition in front, it looks like the above home has changed its orientation from front to back to side to side. Shotgun houses are efficient because no space is wasted on hallways; however, they are pretty inconvenient when someone has to walk through your bedroom in the middle of the night to get to the bathroom. Being the last of something, we think the neighborhood (or the city..... or HGTV..) should treat this 644 square foot,  two-bedroom, 1935 home to a restoration-makeover..... landscape and all. It is part of our mill town's history.

 

*reference.... Perhaps the most famous person to have been born in one was Elvis Presley.

 

M is for McAdoo Heights

McAdoo Heights is a neighborhood located just south of State Street, between Elm and Church Streets, on the fringe of Old Irving Park. It was developed in the early 1900's as a commercial and residential community for mill workers. The close-knit community, known as a "town within a city,"  flourished until the 1940's (reference). It had restaurants, a hardware store, grocery stores, a movie theater, a school,many churches, and its own police officer. Street names include: Golden Gate, Newlyn, Macy, Bernard, Roseland, Buffalo, Georgia, Palm, and Shelton. In earlier years, it was also known as "The Heights."

As we drove around this neighborhood last weekend, we did get a sense of the charm of McAdoo Heights. The community garden, on Golden Gate Drive, is just lovely. Many houses are decorated for Halloween and and, the day we were there, several families out enjoying the fall afternoon. The above house, at 200 East Newlyn Street is larger than many of the one-story mill houses in the neighborhood. It was built in the 1928, also a little earlier than many in the neighborhood. The high triangles of the peaked roofline at the entrance are quite welcoming and the light blue door makes it clear where one it to enter. We'd like to think it has the character of an "anchor" house for the neighborhood the way it stands, in all its glory, on the corner of Georgia and East Newlyn.

We wonder if there is a connection between McAdoo Heights and the retired, professional basketball star, Bob McAdoo who is from Greensboro. He graduated from Smith High School (in the late 1960's) and is currently an assistant coach for the Miami Heat. Maybe Coach McAdoo is the keeper of some great information about this cozy little neighborhood with his same name. Any and all pieces of information would be greatly appreciated.

Today is ABC Wednesday and M is for McAdoo Heights. For our A-L neighborhood pages, look here.

 

*informative reference here.

Autumn Vegetables

In Greensboro, the temperature dropped significantly yesterday, from what felt like 80 degrees on Saturday to in the 50's on Sunday. Above, you see the produce that we harvested from our back yard yesterday. Chez Mr. and Mrs. GDP, we've opted to nurse along our summer garden a little more, as opposed to being good southerners and planting cold crops (turnips, collards, radishes, mixed greens, broccoli, etc.). We still have okra (purple & green), a few cherry tomatoes, and eggplant.

Additionally, the fruit on our saijo persimmon tree is now ripe. It was so abundant this year that the top snapped off under the weight of the fruit. Saijo means "the very best one" in Japanese and rightfully so. The saijo persimmon doesn't need a pollinator tree, is disease resistent and is hardy in our planting zone. Wish us luck that the remaining half of the two-year-old tree will continue to grow. The photo shows about 1/4 of the fruit from the little tree so you can see what we mean by abundant. We have already turned the pulp from these persimmons into persimmon cake. Although we've enjoyed the fruit, we regret not pruning the tree back and learned our lesson the hard way.

One of Mr. GDP's favorite childhood foods was persimmon pudding, made with wild, native persimmons. The wild variety is labor intensive to prepare for use in the kitchen. The seeds are large and the amount of pulp significantly less than the Asian varieties. It is getting harder to find native persimmons. If you see some for sale, or better yet, free for the picking, please let us know. With each generation, there are fewer and fewer memories of seasonal foods. Just about any food one wants can be imported from somewhere these days. However, nothing beats the spicy tastes of fall... consumed in October and November! Making native persimmon pudding is a North Carolina tradition and is still on our to-do list.

200th Anniversary Honoring of Bethel Veterans

Yesterday, Bethel Presbyterian Church*  held a special ceremony to honor all veterans and members of the Armed Forces affiliated with their church. The program started with a welcome and invocation by the church's pastor, Rev. Paul L. Rhodes. Several veterans and service organizations participated in the service. The event was organized partly to honor the 200 year history of the church and its members.

A rifle salute and cannon salute were conducted by people in uniforms of previous wars. The people in the above photo were dressed in period attire to represent the US Civil War. The woman on the left belongs to the Society of the Black Rose. This organization was established in 1998 to help with memorial services. Wearing a complete period mourning outfit, she is present to remind people of the loss of life during the Civil War.  The Black Rose was named in honor of Rose O'Neal Greenhow, who lost her life trying to help the Confederate Cause.  

The Bethel event also included a flag retirement ceremony and the presentation and raising of a new flag. This fine ceremony was educational to many and meaningful to all who attended.

*Read our earlier post on Bethel Presbyterian here.

114th Central Carolina Fair

As of yesterday, it is Central Carolina Fair Time at the Greensboro Coliseum Grounds. This is the 114th year for this grand event. We suggest heading over as soon as possible to see all of the exhibits while they are still fresh and newly judged. Who will have grown those blue ribbon vegetables? Who will have the best chili? Who will the judges be? Will the rainbow rooster be back? What will be new this year? Here is a list of the exhibits. The Charlie Daniels Band will be playing on Sunday.

The fair will be going strong until 11pm tonight and for eight more days, closing at 8pm on September 23rd. This is such a great family tradition, we suggest you give it a try. Who knows, Mr. Zuckerman and his famous pic might even be there.

Pergola (and Cheesecake) by Alex

Pergolas have been around for a long time. "Pergola" originated in Late Latin, meaning projecting eave. Traditionally, pergolas are covered with woody, twisting vines. The word first appeared in Italian in 1645. The above wooden pergola is located just outside Cheesecakes by Alex at 315 South Elm Street. Owner/baker Alex Amoroso is usually on-site making cheesecakes or consulting with clients. You can be pretty sure that if he is sitting under this pergola, he is working- possibly helping someone choose from the approximately twenty flavors. And when you created the recipes, even eating the finished product is working!

There is a good chance that Alex and his loyal customers will have to sacrifce this location and pergola as the Weaver Investment Company will likely build an office building on the vacant lot they own, beside the pergola. Cheesecakes by Alex has been around since 2002. Let's hope they are they remain downtown for another decade or two- at least. In the meantime, you'll have plenty of nice days this summer and fall to eat a slice of cheesecake and check out the view from the pergola.

Light over Spring Garden Street

From time to time it is fun to feature the little details of Greensboro that add to the local character. While most street lights today are are those bright, silver, buzzinng ones, the above lights represent a bygone era of clear, large-base, filament Edison bulbs. These lights are located on Spring Garden Street, at Howard Street across from Josephines and down from the entrance to Lindley Park. The ones around it have been replaced. We don't imagine these lights were very energy efficient; however, the sure are charming. If you are really interested in street lights, Wikipedia actually has some interesting photos and test (here). Some of the most interesting features of our city aren't at eye level!

We doubt these lights are unique worldwide; however, a google search of street lights didn't reveal any like this old-school duo. We hope they help you light up you weekend. Hope to see you donning your best fairy wings at the Summer Solstice Festival on the other end of Lindley's property at the Arboretum and Lindley Park.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game............

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd.* This 1908 song is the unofficial anthem of baseball. While it is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch, the song is on the tip of everyone's tongue when they think of baseball. The Greensboro Grasshoppers won't be playing at home until their Memorial Day game on Monday; however, the above photo reminds us that it is a holiday weekend-- a time for family and friends... and photos galore. The stadium is the perfect place to get a postcard perfect picture with the word GREENSBORO, providing a sense of Americana to your photo.

Currently, the Bryan Foundation owns the stadium; however, the ownership group of the Grasshoppers is hoping to purchase the stadium. The ownership issue has created a little bit of controversy. The important thing is for the stadium to remain the affordable, vibrant place for family-friendly fun. Greensboro loves its baseball. May "take me out to the ballgame" ring loud and clear for decades to come. Happy Friday, dear readers. 

 

*reference.

Stamey's BBQ

According to their website, Stamey's BBQ has been "serving real North Carolina barbecue and southern hospitality since 1930." They cook BBQ "the old fashioned way," over hickory wood coals. In the photo above, you see the heart of what gives Stamey's Lexington-style, BBQ their great flavor... not just the sauce but also the hardwood. The brick pits are are kept at a tightly controlled temperature to ensure that the flavor, texture, and moisture level of the cooked meat is perfect. This Stamey's location, at 2206 High Point Road, has been open since 1953. It is convenient for people attending avents at the Coliseum Complex.

If you follow GDP, you know we LOVE it when businesses, churches, organizations and institutions (and even people) make their history available online. Archiving information for future generations is so important. Stamey's has done a great job of writing up their history. Read its history here. Next time we will feature a photo of Stamey's food that we will be EATING. This photo was taken on a Sunday, the only day Stamey's takes a day of rest, so we couldn't stop in to enjoy their BBQ. Hummmmmm. We think we just figured out what to eat for dinner tonight!

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted Bible verses. It has been said that it is the "Gospel in a nutshell" (more here).

We got the woodburned keychain free at the checkout counter of Ace Hardware on West Market Street. Old-timey hardware stores and barbershops is the U.S. South are famous for homemade give-aways. Sometimes the same person makes an item for a store for years and it becomes the store's trademark item. Often, there is humor associated with the items. When used to go to the barbershop on the corner of Lees Chapel and Church Street, the barber gave away hand-painted 1" birdhouses. Actually, he called them mosquito houses. For sure these give-aways are conversation pieces, and that's what we southerners like most-- a chance for fellowship..... eternally.

R & M Strawberry Farm

Strawberry picking is an early spring tradition in North Carolina. This weekend, we had a chance to visit R&M Strawberry Farm, right across the county line, on Highway 150. Although it is in Forsyth County, it is not too far from Oak Ridge Military Academy. To many Guilford County residents, R&M Farm is closer than the strawberry farms in the eastern and southern ends of the county. They all resemble each other: A central barn or check-in point, an opportunity to pick your own or pay more for pints already picked. Here is a website to find a strawberry farm in NC, get picking tips, and learn how to use the strawberries in your kitchen.

The first garden strawberry was cultivated in France in the late 1700's and, over the years, the fruit continues to be cultivated to make it redder, bigger and juicier. Strawberries are a low-in-calorie, excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.

In the above photo, other than the clothing of the pickers, the scene hasn't changed much over the centuries.We were very impressed at how well behaved the children were. They were very respectful of the delicate strawberry plants. If you could see what was beyond the lens, you would see that so much of this rural land in the Greensboro area is being converted to housing. Get your strawberries while they last! Happy Monday, dear readers.