The story of FireFly Umbrellas really began years ago on a typical dark, rainy morning in Portland, Oregon. Like most mornings, I found myself crossing a traffic-laden street, carefully dodging cars to catch a waiting bus. Suddenly a turning car failed to stop at the crosswalk and struck my leg. No injury was done, but the frightening event triggered an inspirational thought: "What about an umbrella with a dual purpose - to keep one dry from the rain and increase visibility to passing motorists?" With that thought, the reflective umbrella concept was born - a good idea, but one that would lie in wait until circumstances came together to make it a reality.