"Shaggy Dog" - My Disney Side

I'm showing my Disney side with my "Shaggy Dog" costume for the "Disney After Dark" birthday party. I was planning to dress as Crewella DeVille but that Disney character had already been taken so I had to come up with something else. The "Shaggy Dog" seemed to work for me. How'd I do?

The Land of Oz (1970-1980)

Just follow the yellow brick road to the Land of Oz in Banner Elk which operated from 1970-1980. Here's a few photos taken in 1975:

Take a balloon ride to Oz

The Tin Man's House

Scarecrow and his house

The Cowardly Lion

The witch

Dorothy, Lion, Timan, and Scarecrow  arrive at the  Emerald City

Dancing Mushrooms at Emerald City

The Tin Man gets his heart

Goldenrod

Fall is certainly in the air when the goldenrod flowers. This is the last major blooming event of the season and provides a late-summer feast for the bees.

Goldenrod is a fall blooming wildflower that honeybees adore. 

Goldenrod is a perennial that blooms July through September. It is a common wildflower that blooms late in the summer.  Goldenrod is source of both nectar and pollen for bees important for the timing of a colony preparing for winter. The botanical name is Solidago, a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae that grows abundantly in meadows and alongside roads and highways. 

Nectar sourced from goldenrod produces a distinct honey, which maybe light to medium amber with a spicy, strong taste, and high in minerals. Goldenrod is a medicinal plant that helps with fungus, especially in urinary tract.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" Sedge Garden UMC offers free musical for the community

Christ Superstar will be held at Sedge Garden Methodist Church (UMC) from August 15-17 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. 

The cast features Brett and Mary Ellen Kitko as Jesus and Mary Magdalene. This couple has performed these roles eight times from Pennsylvania to N.C.

Judas is played by Scott Pattison, who was recently seen in Triad Stage's production of Brother Wolf.

Other cast members include:  David Webster (Pontius Pilate), David Teague (King Herod), Carlo St. James (Simon Zealots), Michael Burke (Caiaphas), Andy Ralstead-Asamundi (Annas), Cole Freeman (Peter) and ensemble members: Karen Agee, Jacob Alley, Holly Bostick, Amanda Burke, Devlin Burke, Patrick Burke, Evan Close, Jayson Crawford, Blaire Edwards, Mary Fries, Angela Hodges, Courtney Holder, Maxwell Kennedy, Meadow Kitko, Parker Kitko, London McCann, Aimee Payne, Emily Piotrowski, Sarah Piotrowski, Austin Propst, Jim Simonds, and TJ Taylor. "The cast is a blend of church and community members who auditioned for the show in early June." said Marie Denig, organist/accompanist at Sedge Garden UMC and director of the upcoming musical.

Jesus Christ Supersar opened on Friday, august 8, and will continue its run through the weekend, with performances on August 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be held in the Fellowship Hall at Sedge Garden UMC. Church doors open at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open for seating at 7p.m. Admission is free, but a love offering will be accepeted. Free Childcare is available in the church nursery.

Sedge Garden UMC is located at 794 Sedge Garden Road.

Article from Kernersville News, Thursday, August 14, 2014

Chasing Butterflies!

Across my dreams with nets of wonder I chase the bright elusive butterfly… (Bob Lind).” As a child, I loved to chase these butterflies but now am happy to watch them gathering nectar from my butterfly bush.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is a quick and strong flier making it difficult to capture a photo. The males are a bright yellow, while the females can exhibit two different color forms.

This Pipevine Swallowtail has a shiny blue body and white spots on the upper side of the hind wings. The blue underneath the hind wings encircle one row of orange colors. These swift fliers are usually low to the ground and do not stay at one flower for a long period of time but this fellow is enjoying my butterfly bush.

The Great Spangled Fritillary is a sparkling beauty and is a medium sized butterfly that can fly very quickly and is easy to see while gathering nectar.