March 19, 2009

Whack Job Yard Art: Can I Get an Extension?

Whack Job 1

Whack Job 2

OK, so it’s after 10 p.m., but I thought I had until midnight to enter the Wacko Yard-art Photo Scavenger Hunt. Nonetheless, I’d like to submit these beauties.

These signs are located on Highway 53 near Cotton. I took these photos today, but the guy who makes these signs changes them every now and then. I remember back during the whole French Fries/Freedom Fries debate, he had a sign up that said, “Piss on the Poodles” with a picture of a French flag and, of course, a poodle.

When I was a kid, my family had a cabin near Cotton, and these signs always entertained me. Also, back then he had a sign advertising timber wolf pups for sale, which would always stir elaborate Jack London-esque fantasies in my young mind.

Anyway, I know I’m late. But I still wanted to share these pics. Perhaps I can get an honorable mention.

Kind of whacko yard art along North Shore

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Whacko Yard Art: Stickin’ It To The Man Edition.

Now, I don’t know if this counts, because I took these pictures back in September and I don’t know if it’s still standing (it looks like parts of it were made out of papier-mâché, so I’m not sure how it would’ve fared through the winter months), but it was definitely in a yard and it was definitely art.

And yeah, definitely a little whacko, too.

(East Superior Street, near the Northland Country Club, 9/21/08.)

Whacko Yard Art: Here Comes Santa Claus Edition.

I love Christmas trim!   The more, the merrier, I always say.   Fortunately, that’s not an uncommon sentiment in the Ashland area, so around Christmastime there’s plenty to enjoy.

One shining jewel in the Garland City’s crown?   This fabulous yard display on the east end of town:

I love it!   There’s so much, it’s hard to find an angle to get it all in the frame at once!

Now, heaps of Christmas trim alone don’t make this whacko yard art.   I get that.   The devil’s in the details on this one:

1.  This picture was taken on Tuesday.  This week.

2.  The people who own this house are known around town as “The Cowboy and Mrs. Cowboy.”    (They run the local Subway franchise, and like all local fast food franchise operators, they are local celebrities.)  Also: The Cowboy sidelines as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator every February.

3.  While the majority of this display is store-bought and/or inflatable, there are some fabulous homespun touches throughout that really shouldn’t be missed.  My favorite:  the Santas up front…especially Patriot Santa.


Oh, yeah, and they squeezed a little Jesus in there, too.

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