Smurfs and Swamps

Chatham is a town of about 8,000 people.  It's a very green area of New Jersey and it's a very quaint town.  There's a main street that provides enough shopping to make this place qualify as a township.  And on Main Street there's a speed limit of 35 miles per hour.  The interesting thing is people obey that limit and they don't seem to be in a rush to get anywhere.  Maybe because they know wherever their destination is it's going to take a while, so why hurry.  There are cool signs around telling you what township you're in and then there are other signs that aren't so cool.   

The roads, the freeways, the jug handles (this is deserves its own entry), and the traffic lights are just, well, not like California.  And I guess they shouldn't be because this is the East Coast!  The "No Turn on Red" is a sign that is just beyond annoying, especially in a small town.  I don't quite understand it but I will obey!

Here are a couple of things that we've noticed around Chatham.  The fire hydrants are blue and white and they look like Smurfs. 

 

Am I wrong?

Another interesting thing I noticed was the drainage grate.  It's a strange thing to notice but we were on a walk around the neighborhood and I found this really funny...

No.  Your eyes aren't wrong.  That drain says, "Great Swamp."  Our house is actually right next to the Great Swamp.  Those of you who live by the beach can appreciate the difference between the Great Swamp and "No Dumping. Drains to the Ocean."  The pictures below are part of the yard and beyond on those trees lies the Great Swamp.  I'm sort of scared to go there!