Theme day: Soft

The theme for this month is "Soft".  So here are the soft pedals of a pansy.

 

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

No, this isn't some strange animal skull.  It's a mushroom.

I checked closely to make sure it really was a mushroom.

 

Moo Moo Cha

Once a month I go with a group to a Black owned restaurant for lunch.  This month it was a Boba tea shop called Moo Moo Cha.  It was started by identical twin girls who fell in love with boba at age 14.  They opened their tea shop at age 19 at the beginning of the pandemic.  They've survived well.  (see here for an article about the shop.)

We felt our age, everyone there was either a teen or a pre-teen with mom.  "Hannah Montana" and "Saved by the Bell" played on the TV.  We didn't understand anything on the menu even though it was in English.  The girls kindly helped us through our order.

 

Nomo Die and Nommo Titiayn

 

This vinyl mural sits on a wall outside the Contemporary Museum of Art in downtown Raleigh.  Photographer Mikael Owunna created it by painting the models' bodies in ultraviolet paint and then photographing them in darkness with an ultraviolet light.  The artist's goal is to transform the images we see in Black bodies.

Nomo Die and Nommo Titiayn are twin gods in West African cosmology.   (See here)

What do you see?

An old weathered stump looked like an elephant head to me.

 

Vote early

Early voting is in full swing.

There was a long gauntlet of signs and candidates before the actual polling place.

 This combination of signs was a bit confusing.

 

Breathe

A quiet day on the trail.

 

Another Heron

I post a lot of heron pictures.  Mostly because they're beautiful.  But also because it's so much fun spotting them sneaking around the edge of a pond.

 

Just a few

A few trees are turning, but most are still green.

 

Busy bird

This Red Bellied Woodpecker was really working on a backyard tree.

 

Lizard

Taking pictures of a weathered stump, I looked closer.

Two Eastern Fence Lizards enjoying the sun.  (see here)

They didn't scare easily so they made good subjects.

 

Perkins Orchard

A trip to Perkins Orchard in Durham.  The oldest fruit stand in Durham. 

Started in 1970 by Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Perkins as a fruit stand in his front yard.   Today it is run by his grandson, Donovan Alexander Watson, who took over at age 10!  Even then he had big ideas.  He expanded it, and moved it into the backyard.  

Now, 18 years later, Donovan has connected with farmers all over the state for the best produce in North Carolina.  It's a unique farmer's market.  (see here)

 

Another Ouizi

This mural by the artist Ouizi (see here) is called "Summer's Where You'll Find Me".  It resides on the East building of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

 

Art-o-mat

It looks like an old time cigarette vending machine, and it is.  Instead of cigarettes, it dispenses original art.  For $5.00 you can pull the lever for a small piece of art.  (see here)

There are art-o-mat machines popping up all over the country.  This one sits in the giftshop at the NC Museum of Art.

 

Shadows and reflections

Looking down in the installation: Mirror Labyrinth, the mirror's reflections and shadows made a web on the ground.  And no, I didn't enhance this picture in any way, it really did look like this.

 

Indian Summer

The artist, Ouizi, has planted flower murals all over the country. (see here) This one, titled Indian Summer, sits on the side of an auto parts store in downtown Raleigh.

 

Boat house

A calm day at Durant Nature Park.

 

Pileated Woodpecker

He was a very impressive woodpecker, digging into the dead tree.

(See here.)

 

Beautyberry

The beautyberries are in full color.

(see here)

 

Little green friend

High up on a tree trunk, this little anole watched us walk by.  

 

One tree at a time...

Little by little, tree by tree, fall is sneaking in.

 

Oaks and Spokes

 

This downtown mural is presented by Oaks and Spokes, and advocacy organization dedicated to making Raleigh a bike friendly city.  (see here)

Last Rose?

I don't know if this is the last rose of summer, but we have to savor each one this time of year.

 

Taking off

Mr. Heron was not happy with a group of school kids on a field trip disturbing his quiet lake.  He wisely took off.

 

Waiting

This little lady stands near the Contemporary Art Museum.  Who is she waiting for?

 

Skip to Christmas

 

Costco seems to have skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving and gone straight to Christmas.  Isn't October a bit early?

North Carolina Pig

If North Carolina had a state animal, it would be the pig.  There are pigs on display in most restaurants.  This one, with the North Carolina flag on him, sits outside a barbeque place.

 

Rainbow Head

This "rainbow head"  sits at one entrance to Nash square, one of the downtown parks.   It took me a bit to see that it wasn't just a wiggly rainbow, it really is a face looking to the sky.

 

The Mount Rapmore of the 2010s

The mount Rushmore of 2010 rap.

Do you recognize them?  I only recognized a few.  I know, I know, we're showing our age.

They are J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Nikki Minaj.

There is a mural for these four in each of their hometowns.  J. Cole-Raleigh, Kendrick Lamar-Los Angeles, Drake-Toronto, and Nikki Minaj-New York.

Here in Raleigh they watch over a parkinglot in downtown.

 

Theme day: rest

 

The theme for this month is "rest".  What is more restful than a dog sleeping in the sun?  What is she dreaming about?