This weekend, I went camping and canoeing on the Russian River with friends. Near the town of Guerneville, I had an interesting case of real life deja vu.
Standing in front of an RV park near town was a giant statue of Paul Bunyan. How giant was he? I am standing in front of him, for scale.
You might be wondering why this is notable, or why anyone would even care.
I actually grew up near another large Paul Bunyan statue, located in the small town of Mentone. It was the strangest thing to see, heading to school or back home every day. A large statue of the infamous lumberjack, just sitting in front of someone’s yard. It’s still there today!
Here’s a photo I took while visiting my parents a few years ago (yes, that’s also a Statue of Liberty head sitting on top of a roof). It’s nearly identical!
What sort of madness is this? A flaw in the matrix perhaps?
Those statues look like they could have been made by the same person. And here’s another Paul Bunyan, though not as well done – red or red&black checked shirts with blue jeans seem to be popular.
The house in Mentone belongs to my father-in-law, who can occasionally be found adding to his vast collection of treasures…
Worked out on Greenspot Road for the past 22 years and have driven past the house in Mentone several times a day. It’s pretty much a landmark in the area, especially when giving directions. I never see anyone near the house, I always wanted to stop and meet the owner and see his collection of the old boat motors that he has.
Those are Muffler Men. They were made by a company in Venice, CA back in the 60s:
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/37422