My second day on my Scion Road Trip, after running out of gas, Lisa and family took me on a tour of their area.  As you may know, I called up several friends and blogger friends along a certain route I was taking to my New Hampshire destination and asked if I could spend a day and night with each family.  Lisa, who I have never met in person but has been my blogging friend for a few years now, agreed without batting an eye!  We are now official real life friends!  Whew!  I was nervous there for awhile :0)  Lisa planned a great photography tour of the area for the both of us.

High up on the agenda was to visit six local covered bridges.  Two of them were still in use as a roadway and the others were used as a picture taking and picnicking area.

The giant curved timbers that were used to support this bridge are truly amazing. 

I'm always amazed when I see the cost to build a hundred plus years ago.  I can't even imagine how much $1100 would be in 1849.  Was this price astronomical to them?  Was this figure more than they ever hoped to earn in a lifetime?   Many people today could put an amount like this on their credit card.

The still beauty of these bridges with the water and life below.   Truly fascinating.

This bridge is called a twin covered bridge.  One section goes over water and the other section (I'm guessing) was built over the land that probably was more marshy or prone to flooding.  I think it would be a lot of fun to have a little party or family event here.  I can certainly see how the bridges would make a great backdrop for weddings or photography portrait sessions. 

...that is, if you don't mind a bit of nature.

If you ever get the chance to visit a covered bridge, Go! 
Take your camera. 
Take your kids. 
Take a picnic. 
I highly recommend it.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Chicken

image via Google images

I completely forgot to mention one of the funniest parts from the standing by the side of the road waiting for my rescuers to arrive tale from yesterday.

As I was standing by the side of the road, leaning on the guard rail with my phone in one hand and my camera in the other, a semi truck loaded with live chickens came barreling by. All of a sudden I was completely bathed in feathers!

I saw it coming and there was just nothing I could do about it.

Chicken feathers were everywhere!

I was really hoping that my friend wasn't going to show up at that moment because I was sure I had feathers stuck in my hair.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD -Green Bridge

POTD - Green Bridge

©2011 Kristin Corlett

Near one of the covered bridged that Lisa showed me on our photography outing was this beautiful green bridge.  The shape of it reminded me of the camel back bridge that's in Okemos, MI, but that's about as close as they are to being alike.   It's a beautiful green, one of my favorite colors.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Along the roadway

If you were to pull off the road, say on to the shoulder of the road, why would you do that?

Would it be to take a picture of the factory/mining place?

Would it be to take a picture of the wind turbines in the distance?

Maybe it would be because you wanted to see if the bolts in the guardrail are made in the USA.

Three C's gas delivery to the rescue!

Or maybe it was because 20 miles before your destination you had to call the people you were going to meet (for the very first time in person!) and ask them to bring you a can of gas.

...because you ran out.

...because you were listening to the audio book and didn't look at the gas gauge.

...because

aww heck, I can't give any excuses.

I'm such a dork.

I have to say though that my very first reaction was to laugh a big hearty laugh at my mistake. My second was to call my friend, Lisa and see if she could help me out. My third was to get out of the car because I was far too close to the white line. My fourth was to write on FB that I ran out of gas so that everyone could have a good laugh like I did. Then I called my husband and I admitted to him that I did something really goofy. He wasn't surprised.

So that's a great way to meet a fellow blogger and her family. Ask them to come rescue you from the side of the road!

More about Lisa in the coming days as well as my stop to see Matt and Patti and then Nancie and Chuck and my friend Bob and the trip to the vineyard that is beginning in the morning.

There aren't enough hours in the days on this road trip, I'm finding out.

I'm getting a whole lot of in-person socialization and can't seem to stay awake long enough to blog it. I will though, I promise!

Have a great weekend!
Kristin

POTD - Pocono Birch Tree

POTD - Pocono Birch Tree

©2011 Kristin Corlett

As I was walking down a path on the top of a mountain in the Poconos, I spotted this gorgeous birch tree with the misty valley and mountains in the background.  It was instantly my favorite sight of the day. 

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - All you need is Love

POTD - All you need is Love

©2011 Kristin Corlett

All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.
(Lennon/McCartney)

Enjoy!
Kristin

Which way to the loo?

In this short but speedy Scion Road Trip update I have to tell you that the people that I have asked to sponsor me on my trip (those willing to give up their time, show me around, feed me and give me a dry place to sleep) -- Yes THOSE people!  They are wearing me completely out! 

I have been worn to the point of near exhaustion for the past two days. 

And I'm loving every single minute of it.

I'm not finding any time to even look at my photos, let alone edit them - so this is short and sweet from lunch today.

On the tables in some restaurants they have the little flip cards on the table where you can peruse the dessert menu or see what types of appetizers or drinks they have available...

In this place they had.........

DIRECTIONS to the Bathrooms!!!

We managed to find them, too.  But we did it in less than 23 steps. 

We were thinking that the person who was the official stepper had very short legs.

The Poconos were today and I'm going to New Hampshire in the morning.  I should be at Bob's by dinnertime.

I'm having a ball!  Thanks everyone for coming by!
Kristin

POTD - Closed

POTD - Closed

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I think this was Gate 4 or maybe it was Gate 6. Oh shoot, I can't remember. No matter which gate it was, I actually obeyed and didn't trespass past the gate. I liked the simplicity of the sandy road cutting through the trees with this small red gate delaying passage through. I used the cartoon effect from photobucket to change it up a bit.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Jawbreakers

POTD - Jawbreakers

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I see these giant jawbreakers fairly often but I have no idea who actually buys them. I'd think that small children would be the ones who want them, but I swear these things are bigger than their heads! (OK, so I'm exaggerating a little)  Jawbreakers are something was around when I was a kid, but I was never interested in trying them.  They looked just too darned hard to eat.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Scion Road Trip - Day One

My Scion Road Trip 2011 is taking me up the East Coast, first meeting up with a blogger, a friend who got a transplant, my friend Bob, then off to Martha's Vineyard with Bob and a few other women :)  My return trip home includes a few more transplant friends and I may even stop off and see a former neighbor of mine.  My return trip isn't set in stone yet so I'm really sure how it's going to turn out.

Today I drove almost 700 miles.  I have another 300 until I arrive at the blogger friend's home.  I'll reveal who that is (if I haven't already in an earlier post -- I can't remember!) when my visit is finished.  I don't want to reveal too much until I find out if I can reveal her location.

Right now I'm in Harrisonburg, VA.

I've traveled in FL, GA, SC, NC and VA.

Here are some photos from on the road - none of these have been edited, so I'm just posting a few before I go to bed.

OK folks!  Have a great night!  I'm going to be dreaming about David Cassidy.  The audio book I'm listening to on my trip is called "I think I love you" and it's about some girls in 1974 who are in love with David Cassidy.  It's a great book and it takes place in England, so the person reading the book is English.  I should finish the book tomorrow and I'm totally looking forward to getting back to it. 

But for now -- sleep.

Have a great night!
Kristin

POTD - It's a face

POTD - It's a face

©2011 Kristin Corlett

The tread on the backhoe looked like it had a face!
Two eyes, a nose and a mouth.
It's just silly!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Scion Road Trip - 2011 Edition

Welcome to the pre-launch of the Scion Road Trip - 2011 Edition.

I have decided that a road trip wouldn't be any fun without a car to drive and since I have this bright shiny new 2010 Scion xD that only has a little over 4000 miles on it, I might as well make it one of the stars of the show.

(Not to mention, if Scion wants to sponsor this trip or any upcoming trip, I'd be more than happy to feature my blue baby more often!)

My husband says that I shouldn't tell people where I'm going because I'm just inviting criminals to come to our house.  Well, I'm here to tell you that I will be gone for almost three weeks and I have one husband, one cat, a painfully slow elevator to the 5th floor and no more assigned parking spaces all staying at home while I travel.   If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, please call ahead so Tom can make you some dinner :) 

The list of Things To Do the day before a big Road Trip is extensive, but the day before a Scion Road Trip is even bigger!  I'm used to packing up my larger vehicle to the rafters just because I have the room.  This time I'm being smart and packing only what I need so that I will plenty of extra room in the Scion to move around if necessary.  I've already found that there is much more space in there than I originally thought.  I'll be interested to see how packing goes. 

I am so nervous that I'm going to forget some cord to some device that I've written about a dozen Post-It notes to remind me not to forget.   I went to the store yesterday to get the very last bit of road food and Tom food before I leave.  The very first thing on the list - peanut butter - was the only thing I forgot to pick up.  I found a piece of furniture sitting next to the dumpster yesterday (it's a coffeetable with a dislocated drawer front - but the front was sitting on top of the table - all it needs is a little glue!)  That's in my car now, so I need to drop that off.  I have misplaced a prescription and I still need to fill another before I go.  I also need to gather all of the names, addresses and phone numbers of the places I am visiting during my Scion Road Trip - 2011 Edition so that I will know where I'm going, but also so I can give a copy to my husband. 

Other than that, all I have to do is pack up the Scion and head out in the morning.  She's all gassed up and ready to go. 

I hope that you enjoy the ride, I know I will!

Kristin
"Official driver of the Scion Road Trip - 2011 Edition vehicle."

POTD - Sandwich

POTD - Sandwich
©2011 Kristin Corlett

My husband made the best sandwiches tonight. Chicken breast with bacon, Havarti cheese, fresh tomato and lettuce all on two thick slices of multi grain Italian bread spread with a homemade garlic and dill mayo.  I ate every bite.  It was scrumptious!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Pink Tiger

I took my friend and her two daughters to the Riverside Arts Market yesterday.  I love RAM, but I had not gotten to it at all this year.  I could hardly believe it, but my Saturdays have been busy this year.

Well,  on this Saturday I made a point to take my friends.  Our first stop was Food!  I had one of the grilled cheese paninis and it was SO good!    The other three had food from the same vendor and we all ate every bite.  Good stuff.

I'm sure my friend won't appreciate the back view, but I liked seeing her with her daughters.  The youngest holding her hand and the teenager walking alone :)

The youngest wanted to be a pink tiger for the day.  The gal who was doing the painting was fast and very good. 

Although I have to say that her child subject hardly moved a muscle in that chair.

My friend told me that her daughter just loves to have her face painted.
I told her that they didn't have face painting when I was a kid (boo hoo) so I had no idea what it was like!  I think she said she'd never had her face painted either.  So I guess I wasn't the only one!

Here is the pink tiger in all her glory.

I took them to a park, after RAM,  and we got a few family photos.

I love family photos with a sense of humor!





Please go visit more folks who have already joined in Unknown Mami's Sundays in my City.
I'm sure you won't see a pink tiger at any of those places, but you will probably see something very interesting!


Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
Kristin

POTD - Tractor

POTD - Tractor

©2011 Kristin Corlett

Tractor from the Alpine Groves Park - The park contains three structures that are original to the area. The house was built in 1900 and the barn, where this tractor is located, was probably built earlier. The third structure is a two story barn like building that was built in the mid twentieth century. The tractor is one of the many pieces of machinery that was used to maintain and harvest the orange and lemon groves that were grown on this property.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!  

It's Friday Fragments Day!

Welcome to Friday Fragments!  This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival.  For more Friday Fragment finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time.  Thanks!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

It's been ages, absolute ages, since I have actually made it through the entire Friday Fragment list and the Sundays in my City list. I love reading those two carnivals and I have felt a bit lost without my weekly reads.  Thanks to everyone who links up to one or both and those who stop by my place, too.  You are loved :0)  I didn't get through all of last week's FF, but I did visit all of the SIMC folks.   I hope to visit everyone in both carnivals this week!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Eagle Watch 2011
On top of the Emergency Room building at the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic an eagle decided to build a nest. The past few weeks we have been watching the nest for signs of life and finally it happened. Two little heads started peeking over the edge of the nest. A few more weeks and the eagles look big enough to fly from the nest at any time.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

My friend Julie who had two liver transplants in January of this year has been home for a little over a month.  She's now having a bought with rejection.  Although rejection is fairly easy to treat to get back on track, she's had such a tough run this year that I'm asking for prayers.  I wish she was back here at Mayo with her familiar team of doctors and the transplant support group, but for now we're going to have to trust that her doctors out there will get her back on track.  Thank you!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I've been having trouble getting to sleep at a decent time - it's an ongoing issue - I get myself all turned around every few months and stay up all night and sleep all day.  Well one of my friends suggested this: "Try thinking about things you are thankful for in alphabetical order... Puts you right to sleep." Now that's a great idea!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

The status update of a friend of mine --

I had to laugh. There was an ad on PBS for the Waldo Flea Market.
With a straight face my mom turned to me and asked, "Where's Waldo?"

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Hope you enjoyed!
Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!
Kristin

POTD - Pomegranates

POTD - Pomegranates

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I cannot even imagine the first people to open up a pomegranate and see that gorgeous inside with all of the ripe red seeds. What about the first person to taste the seeds inside? My mouth is puckering just thinking of the taste! Pomegranates are an ancient food, mentioned in the Bible, yet it has never made the "Most Popular" list. My local grocery store had them all lined up so nice and neat that I wanted to bring one home, but I had no idea what to do with it...so I took a picture instead. 

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Cabbage

POTD - Cabbage

©2009 Kristin Corlett

One of my Nebraska cousins called me last night and asked me if I remembered my Grandma Corlett's Cabbage Casserole? She said that Grandma took it to potlucks frequently and that she just loved it. I had to tell her that I didn't remember it and I wasn't sure if I had ever had it. The only meal I ever remember of my Grandma's was her swiss steak. I gave my cousin a mission - see if any of her family had the recipe. I hope Grandma gave the recipe away. I'd love to try it.

This is one of the Best Of photos. The original POTD is here.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Oh Baby!

I don't think I've shared too many of my baby pictures.  I think it's because I was such a goofy looking child.  My hair was the most unruly mess my entire first year of life.  It's really quite funny.  The above photo was the first professional photo of me, I do believe.  This one, I like :)

My Mom put these photos into my baby book.  I think it's the only year that she did this.  You can click to enlarge it.  In today's digital world, can you imagine only putting in six pictures for a whole year of life?!  I like the simplicity of it, so I'm happy.

Jan 1969 - I was two years and three months old.  We lived just outside of Marquette, MI at KI Sawyer Air Force Base.  They get a lot of snow up there in the UP.  (Upper Peninsula)

May - I'm pictured with the two boys that I thought were put on this Earth to take care of me!  They are my Uncles - Alan and Matthew.    They treated me like a little sister, took me places, let me hang out with their friends, picked on me, dressed me up in their football uniforms and sometimes teased me until I cried...but that didn't stop me.  I would have been by their side every second if I could. 

Sept - I'm standing next my next best friend.  He lived at my grandparents house.  I loved this statue and always wanted my picture taken with him.  I couldn't wait to be taller.

It looks like the next one says Aug, but my birthday is in Oct.   Well anyway, this is the stage when I think I start looking like a cute kid.  My hair has finally stopped being so goofy and my face has gotten out of the baby stage. 

Dec - This is when I received my first set of luggage.  Ahhh, the travel bug hit me very young...three years old.  I guess we had Christmas at my Grandparents house because that's their fireplace and the stocking in the background was my Uncle Matt's, which at some point became mine.  Maybe this was year?  I still have that stocking, too.  I've never had any other. 


So that's me as a kiddo.
I thought after two days of pretty serious talk it might be fun to lighten it up a bit and have a laugh at my baby pictures. 
Have a wonderful day!

Kristin

POTD - My View

POTD - My View

©2011 Kristin Corlett

My husband and I have never stayed in one place for longer than three years - until now.  We're going on five and a half years in our condo in the sky.  We aren't that high up, only five floors, but I feel like we are in the clouds sometimes.  I love my view outside my window.  I think this is my favorite time of the day for this view - the lights are beginning to shine out from the condo community surrounding the water, the lights in the fountain are on and the sun is setting, giving the whole area a rosy glow.   I'm grateful that we've been in one place for awhile now and I really like the view I've had all this time. 

Late night musings part ii

I saved this section for today because I was kind of hoping that I would chicken out and not post it.  It is the end of the late night musing that I wrote sometime last year.  Part I is here.  Thanks so much for all of the lovely comments I received yesterday.  It's nice to know that I don't have to be a perfect writer to have a voice!

continued...

Ever since I can remember I have felt rejected by people.  The "they don't like me" type of rejection.  It came up again the other day.  I thought I was going to do something with a group of people and just a day or so before the event I was told that I couldn't come.  I discovered later that everyone else was still invited, but I was not.  I didn't think "That's OK, we'll do it again next time."  I immediately thought "What have I done?"  "Have they just been being nice to me all this time and now when other people are involved they don't want me to be around?"  Later when it was explained what happened, I totally understood, but it was tough to handle for a day or so.

One day I asked someone to go to the movies with me and they replied that they didn't go to the movies.  End of conversation.  Had they followed that up with, "...but I'd love to go out to dinner next week," or "maybe we can get together after the movie for ice cream," I wouldn't have felt like it was a total rejection of me and not just the movie.

I have also never felt friend worthy.  Maybe that's why my BFFs live on opposite coasts as far from me as possible!  I don't like to chat on the phone, so I tend not to stay in touch with people as closely as I probably should.

I have been trying my very best in the transplant community to be a friend no matter how temporary that friendship may be.  It's funny, I still get that little girl left out feeling when I hear that so and so went shopping together last night.  Why didn't they call me? and I really am not the all-day-shopping kind of gal.  I just want to feel included all the time. 

On my kindergarten progress report it says,"Socially - often times feels left out of the group.  Believes she is being rejected."

How does something like that start at age four?  and how does it continue through 44?

My Kindergarten photo

Actually I do know that the transplant community has made me a lot more self confident.  I have to be the best friend that I can possibly be to each person but then allow those people to gravitate towards those in our group that best suit them.  I know that these folks don't need a new best friend for life, they need a new best friend for right now, through this situation, and I know I am not that to everyone.  Thank goodness, I'd be exhausted! 

I love these folks fast and have learned to let go when they go home.  Some goodbyes are much harder than others, this is true, but I know I have a special place in all of their hearts - even if I wasn't their best friend.

I read somewhere that a person teaches what they need to learn the most about.  Maybe I should write a book about how to make friends and keep them through thick and thin.  Maybe then I will understand how to be a great friend and have the confidence to know that the people I friend are friends back.

 I have actually come a long way since I wrote this nearly a year ago, but I decided to put it out there anyway since I'm sure that I'm not alone in feeling this way.   Thankfully I have a wonderful family that I love to no end.  I've always had that love and acceptance from them and it's never once wavered.  That's probably been the reason why I can dismiss the "rejected" type of feelings that pop up every so often and not dwell on it.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for being my friends!
Kristin

POTD - Mud Dauber

POTD - Mud Dauber

©2011 Kristin Corlett

We've gotten quite a few of these mud daubers in the house recently.  We have a few drainage holes in our screened in porch area and they find them, by golly, they sure do.  This guy was flying around the house one whole day and then I lost track of him.  A few days later I found him on the windowsill.  I left the photo in its original size, so if you click on the photo you are able to see all of the little hairs on his body.  It's so cool.  To me, it's so very cool when I know that I'm not going to get stung getting that close.

I found a very cool blog post about a different type of mud dauber, but I bet it's habits are a lot like this one.  Go on over to the Hilton Pond Center if you'd like some more information on this type of wasp. 


I found this definition of a mud dauber on Steve's Pest Control site (from Missouri).  Thanks Steve!! (I don't have a clue who Steve is, by the way.) 

MUD DAUBER
"Length ½”–1” These long, slender wasps are usually black with yellow markings but some species may also have a metallic blue or black coloring. They can be easily identified by their thin, thread-like waist. Mud dauber nests are constructed out of mud and can be found under eaves, porch ceilings, inside garages, sheds, barns, etc. Mud daubers are solitary wasps and do not defend their nest, therefore stings are rare."

Late night musings

I wrote a blog post a long while ago - sometime last year - in a little notebook that I keep beside my bed at night. You know, for those late night inspirations or dream interpretations.  I read through the hastily written pages again today and decided that even though it doesn't stay on the same topic for more than a minute, maybe I ought to type it up.  You folks can finally see what it's like when I start thinking - it's not pretty!!  No wonder I write so much stuff down.  I have to try to sort through the million things I find to be urgent and of course none of it really is.

So here we go.
I'm actually kind of nervous.
This is like reading my journal...

OK.

I find it so very interesting that I write on a blog each day.  A blog that I have created. I have been told countless times that I have poor grammar, that I cannot spell and my sentence structure is simple.  My sister read one of my art history essays and about fell over in laughter - it truly was horrible.  I sounded like a five year old.

I like the painting.
The red is pretty.

OK, so it wasn't that bad - I did get an A on it after all. 
My writing is simple that's for sure.  No $10 words from me.  One reason for that is because I'd have to then spell the darned word.  Thank goodness for spell check.

I write my blog posts each day without a plan really.  Sometimes I look through my photos to see if I had taken pictures for a someday story and other times I happen to think of something that interested me and decide to talk about it. 

I prefer to talk about non controversial things because I honestly don't want to have to defend my position.  About the only thing I feel comfortable defending is organ donation and transplant.  And that's probably because I've been immersed in it for the past 5 years.

  I am a Libra through and through.  I can't make decisions without feeling like I didn't weigh the options better.  I don't ever want anyone upset with me and I fall in love with everything that strikes my fancy.  I do believe that one of the number one overused words on my blog is Love.  I love Sharpies.  Oh I love that lamp.  Don't you just love fall?  I saw this lovely piece of pottery.  I love to love.

I was that way with men, too.  I'd fall in love in a moment if he looked at me the right way.  If he was a bad kisser though, that wasn't love.  yuck.  I'd be done with him.

I don't talk politics because I do have a pretty firm stance but I don't really care if you believe the way I do.  I also don't care if you are the complete opposite. I would much rather talk about a billion other things that what those politicians are doing.

I have been to enough open houses, parade homes and fixer upper houses that I do feel qualified to give housing opinions.  Ask me what to offer for the place, however, and it boggles my mind.  I have no idea.  Isn't that what a real estate agent is for?  Give me a cluttered room with hot pink walls and yellow shag carpeting and I can see the space.  Give me a blueprint and I would never be able to find my way out.

 

I read on someones blog that they thought kids shouldn't have to learn cursive writing.  Gosh, I just can't imagine not writing.  Printing doesn't flow and it certainly doesn't flow with how fast my thoughts come.  I've written this post so far in longhand in a little notebook while I was in bed.  Sometimes it's just easier to think with pen and paper.  The distractions of the world wide web can completely derail this Libra.  I'm thinking that's why I have so enjoyed photography the past few years.  I get out of the hum of the computer and out into the world to see what it has to offer.

I started writing this post because I was honestly trying to figure out what in the world I write about each day.  Was it photography driven or did I actually talk about interesting things?  I wondered if I spoke from the heart enough.  I can be quite passionate but I get so wordy that I believe my passion gets lost.  This post, for example!  I think it's now become a novel.

I'll finish part two tomorrow.  I want to actually keep my readership :0)

Have a wonderful day!
Kristin

POTD - Switzerland

POTD - Switzerland

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I took a little drive yesterday to Switzerland.  Switzerland, FL, that is.  There's a little park out there that has some beautiful views of the St Johns River and I thought I'd spend an hour or so playing with my new lens.  By the time I arrived a storm was coming in and I my leisurely plans were dashed.   Thankfully I still got a few shots, so it wasn't a wasted a trip.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Reality Check

POTD - Reality Check

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I saw this sign on the side of the road the other day. I actually thought it was pretty funny - Operation Reality Check?  I want to know who's checking?! 

I know, I know, the little hurricane symbol is also on the sign but still it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  After I looked up Operation Reality Check I found out that people who live in a storm surge area are supposed to understand what the storm surge is in their area and have a family disaster plan in place before a hurricane hits the area.   I don't think this sign conveys that urgency, but maybe the folks who live in that area are aware of it.

Enjoy!
Kristin