July 4th Weekend in Raleigh

Richard — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:46:31 +0000

Well, I have to admit that it kind of seems like a ghost town around here. And with so many vacation areas within an easy drive of Raleigh, I don’t blame anyone for heading out on the long 4th of July weekend.

But there are so many things going on in Raleigh this weekend, that it would be quite a feat to be able to go to all of them. We started out our weekend by FINALLY making it over to the recently renovated North Carolina Museum of Art. And I swear we were there with at least 95% of the people who remained in town for the weekend! All of whom were as amazed and impressed as we were.

Today, though, we’re heading out to witness a naturalization ceremony on the steps of the capitol, check out the capitol celebration, tour the Joel Lane Museum House, join in my neighborhood’s parade and potluck, and then making the tough choice between the fireworks display in Cary with the North Carolina Symphony or watching the N.C. State Fairgrounds fireworks from a spot on an overlooking hill with lots of friends. And there’s tons of stuff we’re not going to make it to. There’s just not enough time to do it all.

We have spent so many July 4ths laying on the beach that we had no idea so much stuff was going on at home. I’m glad we’re here this year. Instead of a lazy Independence Day, ours is going to be action-packed for a change.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

Sweet Victory

Richard — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:10:20 +0000

Today I had my first tomato sandwich of the season made with a tomato from my backyard garden. My plan to keep the squirrels out of my tomatoes is a success! Ahhh, victory is sweet and tasty.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

The Governor’s Summer Garden Patch

Richard — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:31:16 +0000

N.C. Governor Bev Purdue is participating in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program again this summer. There’s a beautiful crop of corn, squash, and beans in the garden patch outside the gates of the governor’s mansion. All of the extra produce grown on the inside of the gates is also donated to the program. I hope to have enough tomatoes to participate along with the governor this summer!

That’s Life in Raleigh.

Squirrels and My Tomatoes – Round 3 – Game Over!

Richard — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:20:17 +0000

Enough is enough. I’m serious about keeping my tomatoes this year. All these hungry squirrels that are lining up are so out of luck.

The contraption that I’ve designed to protect my tomatoes is in place. If all goes according to plan, I should have bushels of tomatoes this year gracing my table and to share with friends and neighbors and Plant a Row for the Hungry. I don’t think we’ll even have to contend with those nasty little holes that the birds drill in the tomatoes, either.

Check this out. I have tomatoes ripening undisturbed. No way the squirrels are winning this round. But I’ll keep you posted.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

Sorry, squirrels!

Squirrels and My Tomatoes – Round 2

Richard — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:47:40 +0000

I’ve concocted a plan to keep the squirrels out of my tomatoes this summer. I’ve started putting my contraption together, but since I don’t have any ripe fruit yet for them to steal, I haven’t been in any hurry to complete my brilliant project.

Today, however, the squirrels are mocking my efforts. Now the gloves are off.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

Squirrel on top of the post by my tomatoes

Raleigh: Yep, We’re Innovative, Too!

Richard — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:04:30 +0000

Here we go again. We get so many accolades around here, that sometimes it’s tough to keep up with all of the lists on which Raleigh ranks high. The latest? Forbes’ list of America’s Most Innovative Cities. No, Raleigh didn’t take the top spot on the list, but we did place at No. 3, after San Jose in California’s Silicon Valley, and Austin, Texas. Trailing after us were cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and San Diego.

Forbes likes our mix of academia and industry. Factors that went into making this list include patents, rate of creative jobs, tech and science jobs, and venture capital investment. Once again, ranking high on this list comes as no surprise. Take a look around. Here in Raleigh, we’re a hub of innovation and creativity. And it’s great to live in a place like that.

All these lists make it kind of hard for us to be humble.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

You can read the full article here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/24/patents-funding-jobs-technology-innovative-cities.html

Inside the Gates at the Governor’s Mansion

Richard — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:13:55 +0000

I was lucky enough to go on a spring tour of the gardens at the N.C. Governor’s Mansion. This was a free event with knowledgeable docents leading groups around the grounds. And the gardens were quite a treat! They’re fanciful and beautiful, yet practical. Everything is beautifully laid out. There’s rose gardens and lawns and everything is perfectly trimmed and maintained. (True fact: The labor is provided by prison inmates.) There’s a koi pond and even play equipment for Governor Purdue’s grandchildren when they visit. Beehives were recently added that are expected to produce six gallons of honey per year. One of the most colorful spots on the grounds was the staging area where hundreds of plants were still in nursery containers waiting to be placed in their proper spot.

The very best part of the gardens to me, though, was the vegetable gardens. There is a very large vegetable garden producing food and herbs that are used in the kitchen of the Governor’s Mansion, with the excess donated to Urban Ministries. It’s the most beautiful vegetable garden I’ve ever seen and the variety is quite impressive. Not only are there plenty of the expected tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, but there’s rattlesnake beans, muscadine grapes, mushrooms, and artichokes. Vegetable crops are grown in the spring, summer, and fall. The head gardener was on hand to share information, advice, and samples of sugar snap beans and strawberries.

I left there inspired to work harder on my own gardens and grounds. But there are a few things I need. For one, I could use some pleasant helpers. When my kids work on our grounds, they don’t act as eager and nice about it as the prisoners at the governor’s place do. Secondly, I could use some of those bees to fly over here in my direction to help me out with my plants. And finally, I wonder if any of those armed security guys could help me out with these squirrels.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

The Governor's Vegetable Patch

The Governor's Gardens May 2010

Summerfest

Richard — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:13:24 +0000

One of the greatest treasures we have around here is the North Carolina Symphony. The Symphony’s “summer home” is the beautiful amphitheater at Regency Park in Cary, and the Summerfest series is one of the best deals going. The Symphony offers a reasonably-priced, flexible ticket package with 7 concerts to choose from. Well, technically there’s 8, but one of them is free and open to the public. Parking is free. Children 12 and under are free. You can bring your own food and drinks, including alcohol.

Get your tickets now, and I’ll see you there!

Summerfest is comfortable and family-friendly. Incredible music, gorgeous setting, family time together under the stars…….priceless.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

Summer Has Arrived

Richard — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:49:27 +0000

Well, summer’s back already. Yeah, I know today is only May 2nd. But today’s forecast is a MUGGY 94 degrees, with the mercury dipping down into the low 70s overnight. Our house has been cold for months, so we’ve kept our windows closed over the last few days in an attempt to enjoy the chill for a change. Our efforts were in vain, I’m afraid. It’s hot in here today. But after experiencing the coldest winter on record around here, I am not complaining…….yet.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

It’s Pollen Season

Richard — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:59:10 +0000

We have an extra season here in Raleigh, N.C., in addition to the standard spring, summer, fall, and winter. That’s pollen season. And our pollen season this year is an extreme one, with special thanks to our plentiful pine trees.

All the trees and plants dump yellow and green dust all over our city all at the same time. The air is thick with it and the ground and cars are covered with it. Water is swirling with it, from puddles to ponds and lakes. The only thing you can do is keep your windows closed, cover your mouth when you sneeze, and wait for pollen season to end.

Pollen season is something you have to see to believe.

That’s Life in Raleigh…….in the springtime.

Pollen on my front porch