New Salem Pottery

New Salem Pottery, located south of Greensboro near Randleman, is owned and operated by Hal Pugh and Eleanor Minnock-Pugh. Hal and Eleanor produce a variety of original redware and stoneware pottery in their workshop/studio. They also specialize in reproducing eighteenth and nineteenth century plain and decorated redware. Their pottery has been displayed and used by universities, historic sites, the movie industry, and living history museums throughout the United States and abroad. Hal and Eleanor turn and decorate their pottery on their family's property, which is the site of an original eighteenth century Quaker pottery run by William Dennis. For more information, directions and hours of operation, go to http://newsalempottery.com/index.html




And of course, there is family member and Australian Cattle Dog, Hannah Selinda.

(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Buicks

Continuing in the automotive vein of last week's post, over the weekend I stopped by Richard's Auto Salvage on Highway 49 between Asheboro and Denton. Richard's specializes in salvage parts for pre-1972 American autos, and his yard is a treasure trove of old car parts. He has several old Buicks that are beautiful examples of art deco design. Even in their un-restored condition, they are subtle pieces of art. If you have an old car with chrome and fins, he has parts available. Some people see junk yards, or salvage yards, or used auto part facilities as eyesores. They are however, the original green businesses, the first recyclers. Old 50 year old vehicles wait for restoration and someone to bring them back to life, and an art form is preserved. For info, go to http://www.richardsclassiccars.com/



(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Vintage Race Cars

One of my weaknesses is old race cars. Watching and listening to these vintage machines go around the track in anger arouses me. I'm glad that some people have the interest and where-with-all to keep these classic machines going. I wonder how the economy will affect motorsports in general and vintage racing in particular. I hope they can keep these old cars on the track so we can continue to enjoy them. It's one thing to see an old car in a museum and quite another thing to experience them doing what they were designed to do, go fast. Photographs are from Virginia International Raceway and Road Atlanta.



(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Scottish Drum Major

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Large sections of North Carolina were settled by Scots in the 18th and 19th centuries. Both my wife and I claim descent from Scottish families. I have been told that there are more people in North Carolina of Scottish descent than there are in Scotland. Whether that is true or not, I do not know, but in recent years there has been a surge in the Scot culture in this state, and elsewhere. Many highland games are held each year throughout the country featuring highland garb and food, bagpipe bands, heavy highland athletics and dancing, with the largest being the annual highland games at Grandfather Mountain in Linville, North Carolina. Both of my sons have participated in these games over the years, my son Tristan as a piper and my son Devin as a flourishing tenor drummer. There are a couple of pipe bands active in the Greensboro area, The Jamestown Pipes and Drums and the Deep River Pipes and Drums. The photograph above is of a drum major from the Triad Highland Games, held annually in Greensboro.

Industrial Interior

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Interior view of an old locomotive repair facility in Spencer, North Carolina. Part of the North Carolina Transportation Museum, it is a massive building where steam train engines where totally rebuilt for the then Southern Railway. Interestingly, the floor was originally paved with wooden blocks to act as a cushion for cast iron parts, in case they were dropped.

Poetry by a Young Man

My younger son Devin is finishing his studies at UNC this spring and among his academic leanings is poetry. He is also of that age where his writing tends towards romance and love. He handles words the way I wish I could handle photographs. Here is one of his latest works.

Painted dreams grow painted flowers,
Endless plains need countless hours,
Distant worlds feel stardust showers,
And all I want is you.

Stroke by stroke the mind’s brush colours
Every petaled leaf of summer,
All alive but all are duller
Than days I spend with you.

Sun soaked fields that reach forever
Into brazened sky that never
Can be reached unless I feather
And learn to fly with you.

Spinning spheres in constant gloaming
Feel the cosmos ever growing
Catch the sunny solar snowing
Of stars that glow like you.

Every thought I’ve ever wondered,
Every dream I’ve reached in slumber,
Bows before the rippling thunder
That claps when I touch you.


Besides the romantic thoughts of a young man, Devin understands my feelings as well. Last night on Facebook, a friend of mine commented on a photograph of my late father. After a comment by me about how I miss my Dad, Devin wrote the following for me.


Close your eyes, and look inside
to see your heroes from the past.
Soon you'll know those heroes go
on pearl white ships with silken masts
to seas of joy that are so vast
they hold a place for you and me,
and everyone we'd love to see,
to dance on waves eternally.


Pretty cool I thought. For more eclectic verse, visit Devin's blog at http://dranian.blogspot.com/

(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh, poetry copyright by Devin Routh)

Brower Meadow Feed Store

My older son Tristan and I were out Saturday morning looking to buy some chickens. We stopped by a neighbors place on Brower Meadow Road south of Greensboro. Besides raising chickens, my neighbors used to run a feed operation with a mill and a feed and fertilizer store on their farm. The old buildings still stand, empty but still interesting. It was a little early in the year to pick up chickens, but we put our order in for a half dozen production red hens.


(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Industrial Business Portrait

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Industrial portrait of a North Carolina pharmaceutical worker. From a project promoting business and workers in high tech industries in the state.

Native American Dancer

(Photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Photograph is a detail from a dancer at a local Native American pow wow here in Greensboro. The colors and textures at these events are extraordinary and the dancing and music is moving.

Detail from the Barnyard, A Still Life Photograph

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Today's photograph is a still life image from my barnyard, a detail of an old log chain.

Battle of Guilford Courthouse

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

This past weekend was the anniversary of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. On March 15, 1781 American forces under Nathaniel Greene met a British army under Lord Cornwallis and after fierce fighting forced the British to move their forces to Yorktown, Virginia and final defeat in the American Revolution. The battlefield is on the north side of Greensboro. Annually, reenactment groups from around the country come together to reenact the battle. This year, unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and the event was rained out. This photograph is from a past year's event.

Old Farm Tractor

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Old steel wheeled McCormick Deering farm tractor photographed near Grays Chapel, south of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Early Planting

I stopped by my neighbors, Goat Lady Dairy, south of Greensboro yesterday to chat and pick up some goat cheese, and photographed Steve and Lee Tate as they were planting early vegetables before the rain set in. The Tates use their garden to produce fresh organic vegetables for the farm brunches and dinners they put on at their dairy. In addition to the cheese I picked up, Steve let me try some of their fresh goat milk yogurt and it is definitely a winner. Steve an Lee are both wonderful people and are advocates of locally grown food, and they possess a world of knowledge on sustainable agriculture. They are leaders in the local slow food movement. You can find out more by visiting http://www.goatladydairy.com/


(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Old Grays Chapel Home Place

I took advantage of the spring-like weather yesterday to get out and photograph some things close to my home. The old Jess Hackett home place stands on Jess Hackett Road in Randolph County south of Greensboro. Layers of siding hide a two story early 19th century log structure with a hand laid rock chimney. From what I understand, Mr. & Mrs. Hackett raised eight children here.

(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

A Taste of Spring

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Crazy weather. From 16° and four inches of snow just a week ago to 80° weather this week, things have been changing quickly. The warm temperatures have brought out the blossoms as this photograph of blooming plum trees at my home near Greensboro shows. Is Spring on it's way, or is nature just pulling our leg?

More Old Train Stuff

(photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Don't know why, but for some reason, I shoot a lot of photographs of old stuff. Maybe it's because I'm old, or maybe because I'm drawn to the patina of antiques, or maybe it's because there's just a lot of old stuff around Greensboro. Anyway, I will continue to look for scenes like this old boxcar for inspiration.

2009 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament

This weekend I did something I don't get a chance to do often, but it was something I really enjoy. I photographed basketball at the Women's ACC Tournament in Greensboro. The championship game Sunday was a thriller. Maryland and Duke fought it out for the entire game with Maryland leading going into the last few seconds. Duke then managed to force an overtime in which Maryland finally prevailed 92 to 89. The game featured some of the top women players in the country in Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver from Maryland and Abby Waner from Duke, and all the players from both teams were on their best games. If you haven't seen women's NCCA basketball, you should. Great teams and great play.




(photographs copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

More Friday Model Photography

(image copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Casual male fashion photography from near Greensboro.

Goat Lady Dairy

(image copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Temperatures are starting to rise locally, and hopefully this weekend we will catch our first glimpses of Spring. This time of year brings on revival and new life. The photograph above of young goat kids comes from Goat Lady Dairy in Grays Chapel, about 1/2 mile as the crow flies from my home. Goat Lady produces some of the best goat cheese I have ever tasted. My favorite is their Sandy Creek, an aged goat cheese with veins of grape vine ash running through it. To die for. The folks at the dairy provide their cheeses to many Greensboro area restaurants and they sell to the public at the farmer's markets in Greensboro and on Sandy Ridge Road. They also host dinners and brunches featuring locally grown and sustainable foods. For more information, go to http://www.goatladydairy.com/

Hands

(image copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Photographic illustration for a brochure cover.

Greensboro Snow

Yesterday we had a quite heavy snow in Greensboro, something fairly rare for us in March but not unheard of (it actually snowed here each of the first three Wednesdays of March in 1960). I'm not a really big fan of snow, and I am ready for spring to arrive, but I have to admit it was quite pretty. I went out and shot a few scenes near my home in Grays Chapel, south of Greensboro. Above is an old McCormick-Deering tractor beside a neighbor's barn. Below is a view of our farm pond.


It was a wet snow, so the trees were covered. Below is a willow oak from my front yard. Below that is view of a neighbor's cabin. It's cold today and the weatherman says it's supposed to drop to 12°F tonight (too cold!) but they are expecting it to be in the seventies by the weekend. Go figure.


(images copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

Rusty Ladder Still-Life

(image copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

From my rust series, photograph of an old ladder on a railroad car.

Greensboro Fashion Photography

(image copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

I don't usually post on weekends, but the weather today has me searching for things to do inside. It raining a cold nasty rain right now and the forecasters are calling for heavy snow tonight. Seems as if the weather is a metaphor for the local economy of Greensboro in general and my business in particular. It's rough right now, but I am trying to hang on. I'm hoping for spring to come and warm things up, both meteorologically and economically. I'm posting an image from better times, a fashion photograph shot just south of Greensboro. Hopefully happier days are on the way.