The Commonspace > June 2004 > The Ordinary Eye

It all started with the goose.

Not until I moved to St. Louis was I acquainted with the porch goose. No sooner had I gotten used to seeing them guarding front entries around town than I realized it went far beyond just the white, concrete (or, even more kitschy, plastic) birds — the dress-up geese really blew my mind. Now, it's a little game I play with myself, spotting them all over, noting which ones change clothing more often than the gals on "The Simple Life." One of my favorites (not pictured here) lives near the Missouri Botanical Garden and spends the entire summer dressed as another bird entirely, a cardinal, to root for the home team.

According to the website lawngoosedesigns.com (I am not making this up):

"The Lawn Goose is a tradition that has been going on for thirty years in the Midwest. You put the goose on your front porch and dress it up with outfits according to the season, holiday, or simply the mood of the day. There are hundreds to choose from! It's like Barbie Dolls for adults...and the men get to play too!"

But the goose was just the beginning. When I began paying attention, I noticed lions, lambs and yes, cheerleading dogs (made of Styrofoam packaging material) and even a ceramic kitten, perpetually stuck in a tight spot.