House numbers or hand-lettered business signs look like easy and passive subjects. But that is not always true, because people get suspicious when they see some stranger taking pictures of their property. Early on Thanksgiving morning, however, there was hardly anyone around and I only had to placate one slightly hostile resident in the course of gathering in all these wonderful vernacular numerals. Which (in addition to its intrinsic fascination) was a good way not to dwell too much on the remoteness of Mabel Watson Payne, traveling with her parents.
