Deer Pennsylvania

We have all heard the saying, “you can never go home again”.  I think it needs to be changed to, “you can never go home again without noticing how odd home is”.  When you are raised around certain things, that is just the way they are.  Call it culture if you will.   Fortune has smiled on my travel plans and I have gotten to see a fair number of cultures.  When one walks into a culture cold, the bazar stands out instantly in a way it just can’t when you’ve been seeing it your entire life.  It was my last trip back to Pennsylvania when I realized that plaster deer statues are not displayed the world over the way they are in western Pennsylvania/Eastern Ohio. 

My parents’ block is 0.8 miles.  These are photos I took today just on their block.

at the woods edge

For the budget conscious

In a bed of wild flowers

Keeping him close to home

This model must have been on sale.

I guess Pa loves their deer hunting...and plaster deers.  I would love to tell you I have never had my prom pictures taken beside a friend's front yard deer.  I would love to, but I can't. The deer had been freshly painted...presumably for the occasion. Too bad there were no digital cameras back in the day. 

For all the random statuary found around here, for the longest time I had no idea where it was all coming from.  That is, until I stumbled upon these sweeties at a lawn and garden shop

 Just like corporate America, you pay more for the male.

Here are some of my other favorites from around the area:

This happy couple graces Rt 18 right before the turn for my folks house and the lake.  The people who have this place routinely decorate these guys. 

 Here's something else I love about this vignette, check out what's to the right. 

How's that for convenient?
To the right further is usually a race...truck.

Oddly enough, even though my parents built their house here 40 years ago, they do not have a single plaster deer on their property.  It is always a challenge to get the rents a useful gift at Christmas time...I think this year will be different!