Greensboro Daily Photo

On Westover Terrace

2013-05-18T05:30:00-04:00

Some people dream of the future and technological innovation. Others are quite content to live in the present. Still others, have a little piece of their heart in the past. We suspect the residents of the above home fall into the past-loving category. In front of their house we see the retro lawn chairs and that beauty of a 1956 Dodge Royal. Can't you imagine sitting in that yard in the evening, catching fireflies with your children, and piling in that sedan to head for an ice cream... maybe even at nearby Yum-Yum.

The Westover Terrace of today is a street dissected by Benjamin Parkway. It has a busy part by Grimsley High School and Wendover Avenue. It also has a little section on the edge of Westerwood. The above house is located on that section that cuts through from Friendly Avenue to Aycock Street. As we drove by, we could almost imagine Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins music playing on that car radio.

27403..... On College Hill

2013-05-17T05:30:00-04:00

This weekend is Preservation Greensboro's Third Annual Tour of Historic Homes and Gardens. This year's neighborhood is College Hill, Greensboro's first neighborhood and home to some of our city's oldest homes. College Hill was settled in the 1840's around the time that Greensboro College opened. The houses, many of which were built in the early 1900's, haven't changed much over the past 100 years. Here and here are examples of the single family dwellings. The homes on show are a larger and more elegant, but these smaller homes are equally cozy.

The above view was taken on South Mendenhall, not too far from the Troy Bumpass Home and beside Greensboro College. Read Preservation Greensboro's Facebook page (here) and you will be running to buy a ticket for the tour of homes. The weathermen say the weather will be perfect. While photography is not allowed inside the homes, we'll be there taking photos from the street. Hope to see you there!

School is Winding Down... and Gearing Up

2013-05-16T05:30:00-04:00

The Institutions of Higher Education in Greensboro have had their spring graduation ceremonies and are gearing up for summer school. High school students are in the middle of AP exams as well as International Baccalaureate and EOC common exams. The North Carolina curriculum and exams have changed this year. Teachers have worked very hard to implement the changes.

The above photo, taken a couple of months ago on the campus of Greensboro College, represents the students' side of education. It captures that feeling on being alone, pensive, and carrying a great weight one one's shoulder. Students are the reason teachers are so dedicated. Students are the reason schools, colleges, and universities try so hard to make school seem like a home away from home.

Greensboro College, affiliated with the Methodist Church, was founded in 1838 on 80 acres located near downtown Greensboro. If you want to see an expanded view of the View House (by Assistant Professor Ted Efremoff) go here. Better yet, head downtown and see if the View House is still on display. Greensboro College is a lovely place to go for a walk. If you see any students, send them some words of encouragement.

R is for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2013-05-15T05:30:00-04:00

Whole Foods in Friendly Center is making an effort to educate the public about disposing of trash. Before us, we see three bins: 1) trash/landfill, 2) recycling, and 3) compost. This sorting helps us reduce, reuse, and recycle. Some items inevitably head to the landfill; however, there is plenty of waste that can be recycled or composted. The City of Greensboro takes yard waste that can be composted. They now takes all plastic bottles and jugs numbered 1-7.* This is a more generous policy than we had in previous years, Whole Foods helps educate us on what exactly can be done with which items. Greensboro has learned that nobody wants a garbage dump in their neighborhood, so the less trash that we have, the better off we all are. Every composted or recycled piece of trash makes a tremendous difference in what gets sent to the dump.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our GO GREEN Greensboro series, "R" is for reduce, reuse, recycle! We can also add, "repurpose," that great effort to make something useful out of something that has outlived its usefulness. If you look closely on the wall, you can see that Whole Foods made decorations out of old wooden spools from local textile mills, a local, repurposed touch.

*view the city's plastic recycling page here.

On Church Street

2013-05-14T05:30:00-04:00

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.

Feral Cats

2013-05-13T05:30:00-04:00

A feral cat is a domestic cat that has returned to the wild. As opposed to lost or stray cats, they are born in the wild.* When feral cats are trapped-neutered-and returned (TNR), they are allowed to live out their lives without having kittens and are less aggressive toward each other. In 1996, Greensboro started a feral cat assistance program (FCAP). The organization is involved in the TNR program, securing funds to help pay for the vet fees, finding homes for adoptable kittens and feeding colonies. A group of feral cats is known as a colony or a clowder.

Feral cats tend to congregate in places, like schools, parks and businesses, where they have access to food. They are known to travel through sewage systems and under roads to get to their food sources.

The above cat is one of many living around town. His clowder hides during high traffic times and emerges when there aren't many people around. They are slow and deliberate in their movements- unless they need to seek shelter. Greensboro has an active FCAP group. There are many levels of involvement and they need so much help get these feral cats spayed and nutered. We are learning that this program is highly controversial. (We have edited this post today and will add that not all people are in favor of assisting feral cats. At GDP, it is not our goal to endorse or condemn causes. It is our goal to share places, events, and scenes around Greensboro).

*reference.

Happy Mother's Day 2013

2013-05-12T05:30:00-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! Today's photo takes us inside Our Lady of Grace (OLG) Catholic Church on West Market Street. This photo, while blurry, evokes the spirit of family, love, and relationships. We don't need to see the faces to get a feel for the love and hope of the people celebrating this marriage.

According to the parrish history on their website, Our Lady of Grace was erected in 1952, through funds provided by Julian Price. Mr. Price, chairman of the board of Jefferson Life Insurance Company, build this Catholic church "as a tribute to the faith and love of his good wife, Ethel Clay Price" (reference). Both Mr. and Mrs. Price died before the church could be built and it was through the efforts of their dear children, Mrs. Joseph M. Bryan and Mr. Ralph Clay Price, that OLG became a reality. While most of us can't afford to build a marble and handcrafted wooden church with over 30,000 pieces of stained glass imported from Belgium, for our parents, we can honor them by ensuring that their grandchildren and great grandchildren are raised in a loving and nurturing environment. And, if you are at a wedding, participating in or watching the ceremony, remember to say a little thank you to your own mother. If you have children, renew your personal committment to being the best mother you can be. Happy Mother's Day, ladies. Finally, may the love of the above couple grow as strong as the love Mr. Price had for his lovely wife- the mother of his children.

Lights, Camera, Action.... On Elm Street

2013-05-11T05:30:00-04:00

Elm Street is the pulse of downtown Greensboro. The above reflection was taken while walking past the Blu Martini Bar. Of course martinis are the featured beverage at the establishment. However, it is also known for music and a light show. The dots of light in the center of the photo are constantly changing color and add such visual interest to the 300 block of Elm.

While we were outside capturing the aggregate of light, the bartender invited us inside to photograph. Somehow, at the end of the photo shoot, this shot with the vehicle zipping past and the reflection of windows, branches, and lights- against a backdrop of cement gray- is the one that won out. It seems to captures the dynamic feeling of this little slice of Elm Street. Can't you almost hear the photo?

Cheers dear readers, may you have a great weekend. For the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day. Here's a virtual toast to you! We're sharing this post with Weekend Reflections where mirror images and playing around with light are de rigueur.........