More Crazy Signs

So we just got back from our great Grand Canyon adventure, and I have more less-sane signage from the road. The above is from a rest stop somewhere along I-40 in the eastern part of AZ. I saw a great deal of lizards. I hope they weren't poisonous.

The buffalo stands in front of a gas station in either Valle or Tusayan, AZ, not far from the Grand Canyon.

And this seemed a hilariously explicit warning posted both at the Grand Canyon, and at a scenic point along 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff.

Long Time No Blog...

I've been so busy teaching, grading, writing and revising, and collapsing in front of the TV in between these that I haven't been blogging lately. Had big plans to go places for spring break that didn't pan out. All I want to do is veg.... So I'm trying to become more interested in my life and to be more thoughtful.

Having said that, I found another hilarious sign:
I mean, I know it's cautionary, but calling the bull "mean" seems a little harsh. Especially if it's sensitive to being teased. I think that makes potential (human) readers of this sign mean. Not the bull.

In a recent student art show here, one of my favorite pieces was a sea of envelopes pinned to the wall. They were randomly pinned either face up and open, or sealed and face down with CONFIDENTIAL stamped in red across the back. Viewers were invited to select an open one, write a secret on the scrap of paper inside, and seal and replace the envelope. So I did, as did a lot of others. I am left wondering about the relationship between art and its viewers, and what happens with all of our secrets!

Dumb Signs

Okay, one of the quirks-- or perhaps a result of my own culture shock-- is odd signs out here on the southwest frontier. Here's a sampling:
While these are certainly not dumb signs, they are also definitely not what I would expect to see at a bathroom break along the highway.

This one's from the same rest stop, and stands in the middle of a grassy field.

This one's actually in Arizona, but I don't doubt its applicability in many places in NM.
And the illustrious THE THING? (WHAT IS IT?) roadside attraction near Texas Canyon, AZ (exit 322 off of I-10). This thing has haunted my imagination ever since I would drive from San Antonio to Northern California for undergrad. I'd see road signs hyping it for hundreds of miles. I think when we moved down here, we saw billboards for it as far as Missouri.

I didn't pay the dollar admission to see THE THING? itself. Sorry. Not my thing.