It’s a board! It’s a sign! It’s….!

That’s one way to reuse a boarded-up drive-thru window in your establishment. (Seen at Cranford’s Tea Spot.)

Benchisms

Every bench in downtown Cranford has a different happy little inspirational phrase painted on its back. It’s sickeningly cute. I kind of love it.

Please stand back 2

Last week, I featured one of NJ Transit’s reminders to not get yourself run over by a train: the yellow line.

But apparently the ever-present yellow line isn’t the only safety technique they use to get people to stand back. There are big red signs at Cranford’s station; I assume they’re intended to light up when there’s a train approaching. Never seen these before! I think they’re kinda neat.

Beach closed

Still buried in sand, months after Sandy.

I dunno, it’s just these little things that get to me.

Hottie!

(Profanity after the break.)
(Hopefully this works. I’ve never used jump tags before..)

How do we recover?

I wasn’t really raised with a volunteering ethos, but this stupid hurricane hit so close to my home, and I’m so lucky that I’m okay… I want to help my fellow New Jerseyans!

 

I am not personally endorsing anything here.
But here’s what I’ve scoped out so far:

 

1. Red Cross doesn’t need clothing donations, and I’m apparently useless without any sort of disaster-relief skill set. But I can register to take a class, so that when the NEXT hurricane hits this area (and there will surely be a next one), I’ll be ready.

    

2. Here are some Facebook pages that have been providing up-to-date news on the disaster, what’s happening, where efforts are needed:
   • Jersey Shore Hurricane News
   • Occupy Sandy Relief NYC

    

3. Other suggestions how to get involved, physically:
   • New Jersey 101.5: Volunteer for Hurricane Sandy Emergency Response – Here’s How to Get Involved
   • The Centsible Life: A blog with some down-to-earth suggestions
   • New York Cares: Disaster Response

    

4. Suggestions how to get involved, monetarily:
   • Red Cross
   • Salvation Army (links to online, text, and phone donating at the bottom of the page)
   • Charity Navigator: See if the charity you’re about to give to is a worthwhile cause

 

 

Do you know anything else? Leave a comment! I’ve never done anything like this before, and I don’t know the first thing about disaster relief!

 

Speed limit

Sometimes… there’s just a very slow drive through a meadow, and that’s all there is to say about it.

Wallis

The sign for Wallis Stationery in downtown Scotch Plains is, I think, very charming. But— what do I know— what do you think?

Barber

Well, this won’t win any photography contests, but I thought the spinning barber’s pole was very quaint. I know they’re common, but I continue to be charmed wherever I see them.

Asphalt crossing

While walking through the woods, I followed a dirt path off a main trail, and found myself staring at this railroad crossing sign with no railroad in sight.

Thinking of the old New Jersey West Line, I started snapping photos. Maybe this was a leftover relic of a railway of yore!

As I clicked away, an older gentleman (who’d been sweeping a nearby back porch) called out and asked me what I was doing.

I explained— blah blah, local photoblog, blah blah blah.

Since I had his ear, I asked if he knew the origins of this crossing sign.

“Yeah,” he said, “one of the guys found it somewhere and put it here a few years ago. We’re hoping to rewire it, get the lights working, and actually get a gate going one of these days.”

As he spoke, I read his shirt:
THE MODEL RAILROAD CLUB

I’d stumbled into the backyard of the local Model Railroad Club! Of COURSE they’d have a railroad crossing sign in their parking lot!

I didn’t really have time to go inside and get a full tour at that moment, but I really have been meaning to check out their offerings for a while (because, as we all know, I am a giant nerd). One of these days…!