Drink Cheerwine.

Drink Cheerwine.


Cheerwine. Ever heard of it? I never had until one of my first visits to North Carolina. Maybe you've never heard of it either since it's bottled here in N. Carolina. Of course, I'd be naive to assume it's a local beverage only, but I haven't done the research so I have to assume it's a local thing. It's red. It's cherry. And I love it. Since I have moved up here I haven't been able to get enough of it. The longer I live here, the more I start to realize what a small town life is really all about.

There is something unique about supporting and purchasing from the local vendor. Whether it's buying a can of your favorite bottler's beverage, local farmer's peppers from the farmer's market, or some film and camera gear at the small photography shop in the City of High Point, being local and supporting local means interweaving yourself into more than just adopting the accent. Maybe it's because they don't sell Cheerwine in any other state (that I know of), and maybe this place is small enough to where to start know people, but I think the day everything changed for me was the day I stood in front of a soap vendor's booth while he carefully explained how each bar of soap was crafted. His spiel was genuine and heartfelt. Next to him was a lady who ran a small honey bee farming business. In the jars in front of their booth were golden concoctions complete with a slice of honeycomb fresh from the tree where the bees made their magic. We weren't even finished walking through one of the shelters at the market and before you knew it we had enough to make a hearty salad; blueberry, melon, and honey dessert; and a few soaps to wash our hands off with.

I can't remember the last time I was excited about a soda. I think I was 8 years old when I first discovered Big Red - another not-so-common beverage I found when we visited some family in Texas. I remember how awesome it was to have a soda that I recall tasing like red bubble gum. Now, here I am many years later having that same experience all over again. It's a red cherry flavored soda. Is it really that exciting? Ok, maybe not. But I will say that I love where I live and I love the people here. I like the stuff they make and the traditions they keep through their products. And if it takes one small concoction of cherry flavored candy soda to see it, then so be it. The life of local and small town living rocks.

Flora - An Evening at Reynolda Gardens

Flora - An Evening at Reynolda Gardens

"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." --Greek proverb
















Shanti, her sister and I, spent an overcast evening exploring the gardens at Reynolda Village in Winston Salem. I cannot imagine what this place looks like in the springtime.

I look forward to the Fall when the colors of things dying will be just a brilliant as the things living.

Photos from a crazy camping cookout, local coffee shops, and other great sights in the area are coming soon. Please continue to visit my photo blog. I hope this has been a pleasure.


http://www.reynoldagardens.org/

Krankie's

Krankie's

For an afternoon of intellectual and often random conversation, or a snapshop of an untethered youth, spend some time at this local Winston warehouse turned coffee shop. This small shop is an entrance to a much larger commune of inspired individuals who are open minded and seeking refuge from a complex modern society.

of Grapes

“Always eat grapes downward -- that is eat the best grapes first; in this way there will be none better left on the bunch, and each grape will seem good down to the last. If you eat the other way, you will not have a good grape in the lot.” - Samuel Butler (1835-1902)

An Old Rent

I remember the first time we drove to the tiny house off of Pisgah Church Road in old Kernersville. It was close to 10:15pm at night. The old lady whose house we were to consider for rent might not be awake. The old lady - who I later found out lives her life more like a 24 year old - was our realtor's grandmother. Our realtor, who is also a good friend of my brother's, knew we had little time and little money to work with. We drove through some back country roads, passed an abandoned warehouse, crossed some train tracks, and wound our way through a dark windy road littered with gravel. The green porch light had "Twighlight Zone" written all over it.

We had 3 options. 1 - Shanti stays in Florida while our new house was built...4 months being apart, no thank you. 2 - Shanti comes up to N. Carolina and we do a month to month rental in an apartment...ugh, expensive. 3 - Or, rent the old house out on Pisgah Church with the green porch light.




The Monday following our weekend visit to N. Carolina was a long one. A lot had changed over one weekend. I interviewed for 2 jobs, bought a house, and decided that the next few months would be lived in an old country home. We had a slow 12 hour ride back to Florida ahead of us and many new uncertainties to discuss.

A month or two went by and a new friend from work came by to pick us up for a Friday night out. She noticed the green light and informed us that it's usually used to mark a house that has "stuff" of the illegal variety for sale. It's no wonder we had some many strange slow drive-bys of cars with boomin' stereos. The thick of summer brought tons of fireflies. Their glowing green butts matched the porchlight perfectly.

It's been about two and a half weeks since we moved out of that little house. We were pretty bummed about cleaning up and moving on. Sure, we love our new house, but there aren't any creaking wood floors or crawl space access doors to accidentally fall through. The yard was huge and it had a lot of character. Perhaps sometime down the road I'll post more pictures from the little old house.

RJR Reflection

Sometimes it's just neat to see what's reflected in a window. This photo, by far, is not near any of my best work, but colorful and fun. It might have been much more interesting to back up a good bit and capture the reflection off the side of the truck in its entirety.

A Good Sit

"Light be the earth upon you, lightly rest." - Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC)

Have a great weekend.