The lion was a little late.

We didn't get the record snowfalls that people in Ohio got this weekend. We got the rain and wind. Rain yesterday and wind today. Parts of our region are under water today and most of them are without power - literally and figuratively - since I take these sorts of days as a testament to the fact that, as far as nature is concerned, we're unwelcomed visitors. Winds blow trees into homes and cars, snow piles up on the streets and rain floods basements. "Screw you, I'm Nature, damnit. Get out of my house!"

It's so easy for nature to make our lives miserable, since we're so deep into the comforts that any disruption is a huge inconvenience. In the early part of the 20th century, a storm might knock out power for days and they dealt with it. Now, if the cable is out for an hour, we're in a state of panic. For instance, I was set for another trip into the city for a daytime photo safari, but was informed by the nice PATCO rep that the train was screwed up because of the storms. Trees and poles were spewed on the tracks.

"You'll have to get off at Ferry Avenue, take a shuttle to Broadway in Camden and get back on the train ... and you might have to do the same thing on the way home," he told me. Umm ... no thanks. I can wait until next weekend. It was nice of PATCO to have someone at the station to warn us, because I would have been mildly irritated at having to transfer twice.

I know what you're saying, "just drive to Philly." No. Not this guy. Driving is for pussies.

So, my weekend photo challenge from my Ohio friend Kimmyk will have to resort to some archival works. She challenged me to take a provocative photo of a sign ...

not just a regular sign anthony.
oh no.
it's gotta be visually appealing or not.
just not a stop sign.

So, here's my entry. This was taken many years ago on a trip to a place called Port Elizabeth, which is on the Delaware Bay in Cumberland County, New Jersey. I scanned my original black and white photo. I think it is both visually appealing and not ...

Here's a detailed view of the sign, for the visually challenged...

I'm thinking that it might not be that difficult to find a "Whoopie Goldberg look-alike" in Port Elizabeth, but that's just a guess based on local knowledge.

I'm looking forward to Kimmy's submission ... after she digs her way out of her house.