Arizona Signs

Arizona signs strike a strange note with one Canadian

Signs are posted to warn us, advise us of rules, or entice us to do or buy something. International symbols help us understand signs when were are in countries where the language is foreign to us. But sometimes signs in a familiar language may seem foreign.

While wintering in Arizona I encountered signs I found interesting or unusual, often because I’d be unlikely to encounter a similar sign at home in Manitoba, Canada.

Sign at Superstition Mountain Museum: Harmless garter snakes are the only snakes I'm likely to come across in Manitoba — *Sign at Superstition Mountain Museum: Harmless garter snakes are the only snakes I’m likely to come across in Manitoba*

pickleball at own risk — I haven’t played pickleball but many of the 55+ communities in the Greater Phoenix
area have courts where this game that combines elements of tennis, badminton and
ping pong is played with paddles and a polymer ball.

No Weapons Allowed — *On the entrance to the Red Mountain branch of the Mesa Public Library*
*Arizona has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the U.S.*
*Carrying open or concealed weapons is generally allowed without permits if over the age of 21*

do not enter when flooded — *At Tortilla Flat on The Apache Trail*
*I grew up on a prairie flood plain but never associated flooding with desert areas*

At the Gilbert Riparian Preserve Arizona's parks have plenty of trails for hiking, bicycling and horse riding — *At the Gilbert Riparian Preserve*
*Arizona’s parks have plenty of trails for hiking, bicycling and horse riding*

no waiting — *Billboard in Mesa*
*Scheduling an emergency??*

Sign in the Upper Sonoran Exhibit at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum This prairie girl is used to flatter terrain — *Sign in the Upper Sonoran Exhibit at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum*
*This prairie girl is used to flatter terrain*

Diving Lady — *Diving lady sign at the Mesa Starlite Motel*

A landmark since 1960, when the sign was installed on what was then the eastern edge of Mesa on Main Street, then the major thoroughfare through the East Valley. The Starlite Hotel was unique because it had a pool. The sign could be seen for miles. At night the neon lights pan across the three images of the lady to give the impression she is diving.

A major storm in October 2010 felled the sign. The Mesa Preservation Society raised funds to have it restored. The refurbished sign was lit April 2, 2013 at a ceremony led by the mayor.