Sunday 22 April 2012

Signs

There's no quick way to travel by road from where I live to the west coast.  It's the same distance to the east coast but the road is quite different.  But it can be an enjoyable trip in good company, especially with the driver is happy to stop to let me get out of the car to take photos.  


 Yesterday Chris had an appointment to keep so we only made this one stop but commented a couple of times we would stop here or there on the way back home.  We were headed for TeKopuru, south of Dargaville, where I lived from 1977 - 1980.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered the appointment was right next door to the farm where I had lived.

However, we had arrived in Dargaville earlier than expected and wasted some time (and camera battery) with a comfort stop in the brightly painted conveniences by the river.


The seagulls must know winter is approaching, they were lazily soaking up the sunshine while they can. 


One was still on duty though.  It landed practically at my feet and waited patiently.  Only to be disappointed that it wasn't yet lunch time. 


To fill a bit of time we wandered into the second hand shop over the road. 

Now I know it's not nice to be uncharitable but the signs in this shop were just too good (or bad) not to share.  We had to negotiate our way around this sign to enter the shop:


And this one took up most of the wall on our left:


Getting the picture.? I thought I was but I hadn't reckoned on the owner's determination to convey their message:

(Yes, that's a cobweb adorning that one!)



 


There were signs everywhere.  I haven't cropped any of these shots and they were all fired off pretty quickly while avoiding the owner.  (He caught up with me as we were about to leave.  No, not taking a photo, just to chew my ear about a local tourist attraction.)

Terms of trade were hard to miss.

  (Someone overlooked underling the NO in that one.)

 

Some were a bit confusing:


Except where there was a discount. And what does this one mean "Were new" or "Were $69"?


I've never seen so much marker pen.

 
(Fond of mice, you think?)


And the goods that were being so carefully guarded?  You've seen a few and here are a few more:


 
 (Oh oh, here he comes!)
Time is getting on, he's probably waiting to put out the closed sign.


And to think I'd used up my battery and didn't get any photos of the old farm.

Thanks for a great day out, Chris.  It's so good having a mate with a similar sense of the ridiculous.

7 comments:

  1. ....and does this storekeeper actually do any business?
    There's a Christmas Shop in downtown Victoria that is very child-unfriendly....I don't shop there as the owner always seems to be lurking behind the customers, as if afraid that every one is a shoplifter.

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  2. Hello Pauline,

    Oh my goodness, did he have a OPEN sign. It is a wonder he has any customers. I would love to take a bus load of hyper kids in there and see his reaction.

    Happy days.
    Bev.xoxo

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  3. Hilarious, and at the same time such an expression of utter despair...!

    Love your photo of the seagull!

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  4. A sign this shopkeeper has a compulsive disorder(s) with structure, rules and regulations... and children.

    Boggles the mind.

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  5. Wow, Pauline. This owner sure doesn't mind showing his disdain for children. I've never seen so many handwritten signs promoting no touching. LOL. Me, I have to touch before I buy anything.

    Love your photo of the farm.

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  6. I think if I had 5-6 breakages a week I'd be feeling pretty irritated too. A problem is that many people have little respect for other people's property.

    I am so envious of your photo of the painted wrinkly tin round the public conveniences. I want that for my collection!

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  7. Wow! What a grumpy and unhappy man he must be.

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I love to know who's visiting. Leave me a sign!