always use protection

I am of course referencing your bottles of spirits. Why, what were you thinking?

reverend murray

This portrait of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray is painted on the exterior of the Duke bus barn. I like the idea of having civil rights heroes painted on the exterior of our buildings. Rev. Murray grew up in Durham and lead an incredible life, becoming a powerful voice for women and minorities.

Sunrise

I needed something inspirational and happy to look at after all of the difficult news today so I pulled this from the vault. The sunrise turned all of the undersides of the clouds this amazing pink. Truly incredible.

rain!

The lovely and much needed rain as seen through my car window. After a month with not a drop, I could almost hear the earth sighing with relief. It’s supposed to rain for another two days. Yippee! I want to run around in it, it feels so wonderfully satisfying.

pretty pretty

I went to the fall installation of the Designers Downtown Market in Raleigh yesterday (not to be confused with the Handmade Market, totally different…OK, not so much different). These beautiful scarves by Flamboyant Scarves were billowing in what little breeze there was.

I got to chat with a few artisans, and quietly filed some ideas in the back of my head for later inspiration. I had to fight the “I can do that” feeling a lot, but it was really fun. Afterwards I went to Ornamentea‘s trunk show and bought a fabulous orange and green handblown-glass acorn bead from Loriola. I’ll have to think of something lovely but simple to do with it. Stay tuned!

praying for…

Lunch? rain? to be left alone? She’s not saying.

Although it is doing its best not to be seen, I noticed this giant praying mantis on the lantana today. She was a good six to eight inches long! I’ve seen baby mantis and walking sticks around, but never full grown. Welcome to the garden.

jesus, mary and joseph

Actually, I don’t see Joseph but everyone else is represented here. This manuscript came in late today because a piece of the silver on the cover came off. The book is Greek, not sure of the date but it is old, and it has this lovely pressed silver cover nailed onto the front board.

genuine bull

Both ends of the Smith Warehouse, an old tobacco building where part of our library services reside, have the original (perhaps retouched?) Bull Durham advertising on them. I’m really happy that the architects decided to keep these historic parts of the building after the renovation. I took some more shots of Smith and the campus building next door today, they are in the vault for later.

swim if you can

I’m on day two of not feeling well, so I’m posting an image from the “vault.” I took this after gale force winds pushed all the swim buoys up onto the beach.

new arrivals

I noticed some new arrivals to the garden today. Migrations are starting, eat up! it can be a long flight.