Milkweed

There is a movement to plant butterfly friendly native plants.  I see butterfly milkweed blooming everywhere.  So far lots of bees but no butterflies.

 

Prairie sky

It's hard to connect North Carolina with prairie.  But the piedmont area of central North Carolina used to be covered in tall grass prairie.  (see here) You can find it now only in small pockets.

 

Purple

The Purple Martins are back at Prairie Ridge EcoStation.

They fly so fast in and out with bugs that it's hard to catch a good shot.

 

Come for tea...

I have been teaching an English class for mostly Afghan refugees.  After class one of the women invited the teachers to her apartment for tea.  "Tea" was a full Afghan meal, everything homemade and everything delicious.  Two hours later she brought out the tea.  

 

Old Homestead

The sign on the trail calls this the "Old Homestead".  I don't know how old or who were the homesteaders, but all that's left is this piece of wall and part of a chimney.  

I think if people disappeared off the Earth, it wouldn't take too long for nature to reassert her dominance.

 

Life imitates Art?

Sometimes flowers actually do look like a child's drawing.

 

Videri

Videri Chocolate Factory is in an old building on the edge of downtown Raleigh.  Very sweet! 

I thought the name came from the owner's name, or something Italian.

Until I looked at the BBQ place across the street.  

Esse Quam Videri is on the front window.  Turns out it's the state motto of North Carolina:  to be rather than to seem.

I'm not sure how that relates to either BBQ or chocolate...