Merry Christmas!

This neon green sign is iconic in Ft. Myers.  It's been in the front yard of a private residence along McGregor Boulevard, a busy road through the city, since 1943 when George H. Gruesbeck, a devout 7th Day Adventist, put it there.  A couple of years ago, though, the sign went dark.  Apparently, the property was in foreclosure and the owner at the time couldn't pay the electric bill.  Knowing how popular the sign is in the Ft. Myers community, the John E. & Aliese Price Foundation Inc. of Ft. Myers stepped up and made the necessary arrangements for a separate electric meter to be installed just for the sign -- and agreed to pay the electric bill in perpetuity.  At the time, the story made national news.  You can read about it in this USA Today article.  

Before the sign was re-lit, it was refurbished and an extra bit of text honoring the man behind it was added.  (When the sign was temporarily removed for refurbishing, I noticed its absence almost immediately and started asking around, "What happened to the God is Love sign?")  I've wanted to photograph this sign for quite awhile.  And, it was quite a challenge!  Neon is difficult, isn't it?!  Hope everyone in the blogosphere is enjoying a wonderful Christmas.  Merry Christmas!

Sign of the Times

When Blockbuster video merged with Dish Network in 2011, it was announced that 500 Blockbuster stores would close.  Well, we now know this store in Sarasota is one of those and it will close forever next month.  Everything inside is being sold.  When I say everything, I mean it.  Even the bubble gum machine had a 'sold' sticker on it. Truth be told, after 15 years of loathing Blockbuster, due to a billing error on their part (I have a good memory when it comes to bad customer service),  the company finally lured me back a couple of years ago with offers of free video rentals.  I'm not one to watch a lot of movies, so Netflix or something similar just isn't for me.  But, occassionally, I like to watch a movie at home and I don't want to upgrade my monthly cable bill for the option to download a movie on demand.   So, that more or less left Blockbuster.  Oh, well.  Now, if I want to rent a movie I suppose I'll have to use Red Box at my local grocery store, which is fine, except the selection is rather limited.  How do you watch movies at home?  

Happy Easter

Spotted this sign in rural Sarasota County.   Hope everyone has a nice Easter!

Primary Day

The Republican primary is today in Florida. We have a closed primary system here, which means you have to be registered as a Republican in order to vote in the Republican primary. Sarasota County is still considered Republican territory, although, as I recall, the McCain-Palin ticket carried it by just 200 votes or so in 2008.  (Sarasota city residents are another story, voting quite Democratic.)  A rally for Newt Gingrich supposedly drew 4,000 people here last week during a work day.  Personally, I haven't seen much interest here in the primary.  (I found this yard sign down in Ft. Myers, a Republican stronghold.)  For the most part, the political ads I've been seeing on TV are anti-Newt.   The latest poll I read has Mitt Romney defeating Newt by double digits.  Whoever takes the primary, I'm sure I'll hear it dissected 552 different ways on Wednesday. The Republican National Convention is up the road in Tampa this summer.   Buckle up!  It's gonna be a bumpy political ride until November.

Employee of the Month

I did a double-take when I saw this reserved parking sign at Sarasota Architectural Salvage. That's a faux police mugshot identifying the employee of the month.  It seems the store owner has a good sense of humor as he goes about acknowledging a job well done.  Very amusing!  For the record the "mugshot" indicates Pennenga G. is the employee of the month.  Congrats!

Theme Day: Perspective

When I spotted this car, I couldn't help but notice the owner's political perspective. Here's someone from Arizona driving around Sarasota, Florida in a rolling billboard supporting Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a Republican (some would say Libertarian, I think) running for U.S. president in 2012 --- more than a year away. Perhaps my favorite part was a bumper sticker (sadly, too low to photograph well) which declared, 'You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas. - Davy Crockett'. Bundle it all up and you've got one heck of a perspective! By the way, this is part of theme day in the City Daily Photo world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants As an aside, the SDP staff has been counseled about posting back-to-back photos which were taken from the driver's seat....and that sometimes, to gain a better perspective, one must actually leave the car.

Roadside Message

Spotted this sign in rural Sarasota. I was racing by so fast, I almost didn't see it. Happy Sunday!

Rolling Patriotism

Spotted this bold, patriotic message in a parking lot. I didn't have my DSLR with me, but, fortunately, a SDP staff member was on hand to offer their phone camera. Hear! Hear!! Honk...clap...sing for America. Now, let's knuckle down and resolve the national debt issue.

Buckle Up

When I saw this message on St. Armands Key, it struck me as being spot on. Unfortunately, I didn't have camera with me, so I made a point to return and share it. Buckle up! It could be a bumpy ride...but enjoy the smooth landing. Happy Sunday!

Define 'Trespassing'...

Does trespassing include sitting atop the warning sign??? I spotted this sassy little fellow as I was leaving the disc golf tournament -- and still had my camera at the ready. He sure was acting guilty. Maybe the crime was theft...not trespassing.

Protective Pooch

This sign makes me smile every time I see it.  I've never seen the driver, or the guard poodle for that matter, but many afternoons I see this car parked near mine.  In my fantasy photographer world,  I would love to see a poodle hanging its head out the front passenger window (guarding the vehicle, of course), looking back at the 'Beware' sign.  Happy Saturday!

Swim with Caution

Perhaps it's the fact that I was raised up north, where the most vicious creature you'll find in a lake is a sunfish or a turtle, but sights like this in Florida continue to perplex me.   Lake Osprey, located in Oscar Scherer State Park in Sarasota, is clearly labelled as being an area that alligators like to frequent.  And, yet, look at all those adults and children frolicking in the lake last weekend!   What the heck?!   I have a healthy respect for those rapacious reptiles and wouldn't dip my big toe in a lake that was known to be their habitat.  Just looking at this picture, I'm getting creeped out.  I don't get it.  Not at all.  

Tax Day (Almost)

In the U.S., April 15th is Tax Day.  But, not this year.  Today's usual deadline has been extended to accommodate the District of Columbia, which is commemorating Emancipation Day today.   Emancipation Day actually falls on April 16th, but since that's a Saturday, the recognized government holiday was moved to today, prompting the federal government to move Tax Day to Monday, April 18th.  (whew!)  On to today's photo....at least a month ago, I noticed the sign this guy was waving as I drove by on Clark Road in Sarasota.  It really didn't phase me that he was dressed in full costume as Uncle Sam, standing along a major road dancing exuberantly with a cardboard sign.  It was the name of the business on the sign that grabbed my attention...and made me chuckle.  By the way, that's 21-year-old Nick out there.  He told me he dances with that sign six hours a day.   

No Trespassing

What is it about a 'No Trespassing' sign that makes people want to.....trespass?   I sure saw a heck of a lot of people hiking and biking up this hill near the celery fields in rural Sarasota County.  I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but I think the area is under construction as part of an improvement project to expand the bird viewing area.   

Squirrels? What Squirrels?!

Despite hoping and hoping that a squirrel would (safely) scamper across the street while I was taking this photo, it just didn't happen.  Perhaps I was too focused on the sign to notice anything else.