Jim Granter

Sunday 4 June 2000, 8.00 a.m. Raleigh.  Some notes

Continental breakfast in La Quinta reception. Af/Am and W guests and staff. Cloudy day, nice temperature. Will everywhere to eat in town be closed on Sunday, as last time in Asheville? (Remember Billy).

Will probably explore downtown Raleigh and Cary today or tomorrow. Coffee / caffeine kicking in from breakfast. This Room 514 seems to be in the middle of the block and under the motor that drives something like the house A/C system, so there’s a constant rumble from the ceiling. Car parks all but deserted, 100s of spaces. Grassy areas very dry, so rainstorms last night will be welcome. The window opens to an insect screen.

Birds are nearly all chirpers, few songsters, one sounds like a squawky starling.

CNN very interesting but all items are very short, e.g. Battle of the Medway, river pollution

3.00 p.m. Raleigh NC Museum of History Pharmacy has a huge cabinet of “Botanical Drugs” including lycopodium in big tin, from about 1920s or ’30s. About to see a play about medicine and segregation in 1920s to 40s. The play involved a black woman reminiscing about the Drug store (segregated) in Charlotte(?) where her mother got Vic Vapour Rub, invented in Selma NC which took away the fever of her mother.

Down to Natural History Museum (there’s a café!) Very well presented themed areas. Very educational. Touch screen displays and quizzes. Excellent café – ‘natural , home-made’ type food (I had none today) and good strong tables and fabric seated chairs. Lots of children all over, with very attentive parents, talking all the time. All open 12-5 Sundays and well attended.

Only about 65 degrees outside now with a gentle breeze, no sun. Both museums well worth a couple of hours.

Jimmy Harkin rang back 10 to 7 and we talked to 10 to 9 and arranged to meet at his place after work.

Booked Monday night at La Quinta so will probably move on East Tuesday. Eating bananas and apples, bread and cheese in between breakfasts. Jimmy mentioned 2 socialist Presidential candidates whom he rates – Mary Calholis and David MacReynolds.