Great Blue Heron at Country Park

I visited Country Park (Battleground Park's less-famous adjunct park, with entrances off Pisgah Church Road, Lawndale Drive, and Battleground Park, behind the Greensboro Science Center) a couple of weeks ago on a rather cool and cloudy day to have a picnic lunch with a friend and to visit the resident waterfowl of Country Park's large, gorgeous lake.

Armed with sub sandwiches, chips, and a bag of slightly-stale Cheerios, we ventured forth and had our lunch at one of the shelters, and then started our ramble. We didn't ramble very far before I spotted this magnificent fellow, hanging out on a huge deadfall.

I have seen a great blue heron at the Bog Garden many times, but this was my first sighting of one (the same one?) at Country Park, so I excitedly snapped a few pictures. I was even more excited when he took off from the deadfall and flew over to the bank where I was standing, ready for his closeup! I obliged, of course.

I also took a photo of one of the stately trees at the edge of the lake that was covered with a giant wisteria vine, in full bloom. I am not sure the blossoms can be seen very well in my photo (I really am just a point-and-shoot photog, not a professional by any means), but you can click on any of the pictures to get a larger version.

It began to sprinkle a bit after that, so we decamped and moved on to the Bicentennial Garden and Bog Garden, which were enjoying nicer weather (I have posted some pictures from this trip on the What's Good in Greensboro? Facebook page).

Here's some information from Wikipedia about the great blue heron: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_blue_heron

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

All images are mine and protected by copyright.

It's Graduation Time! Upcoming Commencements at The Greensboro Coliseum

Spring is here, and along with the much-anticipated longer days, warmer temperatures and all things blossoming and blooming (sorry, allergy sufferers!), it's again the season for that time-honored tradition known as Gettin'-the-Heck-Out, or, more simply, graduation.

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex will be hopping this week, with no fewer than three different college commencements scheduled:

Thursday, May 7th at 7:00 pm
commencement exercises for Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) will be held. The GTCC website is not very sparing with details, but if you need additional information, their phone number is 336.334.4822.

Friday, May 8th at 10:00 am (doors open at 8:30am)
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) will hold its annual commencement exercises. For a detailed schedule of events, view here.

Saturday, May 9th at 8:30 am - NCA&T
North Carolina A&T University's featured commencement speaker will be Representative John Lewis, one of the original Freedom Riders, a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a significant figure in the Civil Rights Movement. For more details, visit A&T's website here.

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

Image from Pixabay http://pixabay.com/en/graduates-graduation-cap-and-gown-351603/

Sneak Peek Party for Greensboro's Summer Night Lights Program Scheduled for May 8

On Friday, May 8, the City will throw a "sneak peek" event for teens aged 13-18 to get a preview of this year's Summer Night Lights (SNL) program. The event will be held at the Greensboro Sportsplex at 2400 16th Street in Greensboro from 7pm - 11pm. Besides being an opportunity for teens to learn about summer programs and activities as well as volunteering opportunities, it will also be a fun party, with basketball, soccer, and a DJ.

The Summer Night Lights (SNL) program offers free activities and events at various locations in Greensboro for teens 13-18 years of age. It's a fun way to stay busy during the summer with lots of fun, social activities. Here is the City of Greensboro web page with all the information you will need: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=4004

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

Image from Pixabay http://pixabay.com/en/girl-teenager-female-young-390568/

Fun Events for Saturday, April 11 in Greensboro

Spring has really started the social ball rolling here in Greensboro, with tons of fun events. Coming up tomorrow are three that I would like to recommend, in chronological order ( I know you can make all three of these!):

Potters of the Piedmont hosts the Pottery Festival at its new indoor location, the Leonard Recreation Center at 6324 Ballinger Road, Greensboro, NC 27410. This is in the Guilford College area, going toward the airport area. Admission and parking are absolutely free! The show will be held on Saturday, April 11th, for one day, so make sure to come out! It's from 10am to 4pm and will showcase the work of over 50 potters from North and South Carolina and Virginia. Visit www.pottersofthepiedmont.com for more information.

 
Next, you'll want to head to Lawndale Drive to visit Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema at 2134 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro, NC 27408 for their celebration of International Tabletop Gaming Day! This 12-hour gaming extravaganza runs from noon to midnight and will feature a hot dog lunch, A Magic: The Gathering card draft tournament, a Cards Against Humanity charity event, and loads of the best board games, including tournaments for two of the most popular games, Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride! Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/357098401153426/ for more specifics on events and times.

Wind up you super fun day with the Greensboro Downtown Residents' Association's 2015 Sip-n-Stroll, a tour of downtown Greensboro finest drinking and dining establishments (as well as a bookstore that serves wine!)--the walking tour, which I have covered in depth here http://whatsgoodingreensboro.blogspot.com/2015/03/greensboro-downtown-residents.html , goes from 1pm to 5pm, with tastings of craft beer and wine, commemorative tasting glasses, and a live concert afterward, from 5-7pm (after which you can head back to Geeksboro for more gaming!) . You can still purchase tickets online for Sip-n-Stroll 2015--click the link above for all the details!

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!


Pottery image from Pixabay http://pixabay.com/en/lanterns-ceramic-pottery-fragile-64976/
Geeksboro hot dog image from Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema Facebook page
Sip-n-Stroll logo used with permission of GDRA

Greensboro Downtown Residents' Association Will Hold the 2015 Sip-n-Stroll on April 11th

The 2015 Sip-n-Stroll is a tour of Greensboro's finest downtown establishments serving wine and craft beers. Strollers will enjoy tastings of beer and wine, and many participating venues will be featuring drink and appetizer specials, as well. The Sip-n-Stroll will take place from 1-5pm on Saturday, April 11th, after which Strollers will enjoy a concert from 5-7pm at The Railyard featuring a performance by Empty Pocket. 

Tickets are $30 until March 28th, $35 from March 29th to April 10th and $40 on April 11th. Ticket price includes a souvenir event tasting glass, two tastings of wine/beer from each participating location and admission to the after concert at The Railyard. Tickets for the 2015 Sip-n-Stroll can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-sip-n-stroll-a-downtown-greensboro-craft-beer-wine-experience-tickets-15867034728 .

Among the participants in the 2015 Sip-n-Stroll are Scuppernong Books (click here for more info), The Pour House, The Worx, Spice Cantina, Crafted! The Art of the Taco (click here for more info), Gibb's Hundred, Mellow Mushroom, Liberty Oak, Beer Co., Zeto Wines, Cafe Europa, Stumble Stilskins, and more.

So come to downtown Greensboro for a fun stroll, some fine food and drink, and some entertainment on a spring afternoon / evening. It's a great way to celebrate! 

You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

Sip-n-Stroll logo used with permission. 

Fleetwood Mac Performs Tonight at the Greensboro Coliseum

Rock legends Fleetwood Mac, who have been making music for almost fifty years and who have provided the soundtrack for the lives of multiple generations of fans, are in Greensboro tonight for a concert at the Greensboro Coliseum, starting at 8pm.The tour is called "Fleetwood Mac: On with the Show"and will feature plenty of classics and favorites from their decades of incredible music.

Diehard Fleetwood Mac fans will appreciate that this tour features the "classic lineup" of Christine and John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, the team behind such brilliant and enduring albums as Rumours and Tusk. One of the reasons that I personally always admired the band was their ensemble approach to performing: Fleetwood Mac has three equally talented singer-songwriters: Christine McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham, and each one of them sang their own compositions, giving the band three lead singers, all of whom could write both critically and commercially successful music. And what wonderful, distinctive voices they have, as well!  

Tickets are still available for tonight's concert, presented by Live Nation. Click here for details and tickets, as well as more photos of the band!

 You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

Image of Fleetwood Mac in 1977 from Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fleetwood_Mac_%281977%29.jpg

Spring Blooms Will Show Up Soon

Ah, spring. Last night we set the clocks forward an hour, meaning a longer period of daylight in the evening (I know, I know; don't tell me the story about cutting a foot off the top of the blanket and sewing it onto the bottom--if it shakes out to the sun going down an hour later, the day is longer, mmkay?), and to me, personally, that makes even more of a difference than the warmer temperatures.

But the thing about Greensboro is that it gets really good in the spring. One of the things that always strikes me about this city is all the flowering trees, from the wonderful huge Bradford pear trees lining Holden Road between Hobbs Road and  Friendly Avenue to the wonderful landscaping of houses on Westridge Road. And all the spring flowers, as well, in the Greensboro Arboretum, the Bicentennial Garden, and even my front yard, where irises and azalea show off their finery every spring (pictured).

On a day like today, it's hard to imagine we had snow and ice just a few days ago and that I had to set the tap to drip overnight to ensure my water pipes wouldn't freeze. On a day like today, all I can think about is spring!

 You can also find What's Good in Greensbroro? on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Whats-Good-in-Greensboro-848569635208317/ . See you there!

My own photo - all rights reserved.