From: n5gax@leo.unm.edu (Duke McMullan n5gax)
Subject: Re: Lawn Ornaments
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 22:40:35 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Dec14.154644.9070@news.stolaf.edu> frye@amcl10.math.stolaf.edu
(James E Frye) writes:

>Here's a shenanigan I haven't seen discussed yet:

>The Plan:
>The idea was to find neighbors with plastic lawn elves, or other such silly
>lawn ornaments.  The pink flamingoes are a bit too generic; look for 
>something with human characteristics, if possible.  

>After locating such friendly lawn ornaments, "borrow" them for a while.
>Since we were leaving the state, what we planned to do is take along the
>lawn ornament, and take pictures of it at famous landmarks across our
>fine country.  Next, develop the film, and periodically send home a letter
>from the lawn ornament, discussing what a wonderful vacation it is having,
>et cetera.  Imagine the looks on the owners' faces when they get a letter
>from their lawn elf, and a picture of the elf at Mount Rushmore, Old
>Faithful, Disney, and so on.  Send a letter home about once a week.

That got me to thinking, and it took more rummaging around in archived files
than I care to admit to find this, but:

   --begin_included_article--begin_included_article--begin_included_article--

Article 68050 of rec.humor:
From: pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com (Pete Ashdown)
Newsgroups: utah.general,talk.bizarre,alt.folklore.urban,rec.humor
Subject: Inflatable Bat Sees The World
Date: 18 Oct 91 13:19:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: javelin.1991Oct18.131936.1802
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah


   ABDUCTED BAT IS BACK, BUT MYSTERY LINGERS
   By Stephen Hunt, Salt Lake Tribune

   Last year, shortly after Kris and Tyler Walton noticed an inflatable black
Halloween bat was missing from their porch, the Salt Lake couple began
receiving postcards from around the world signed by "Matt the Bat."
   The cards -- usually indicating  Matt was "having a good time" -- were
postmarked from New York, Florida, Mexico, Hawaii and Paris.
   Mrs. Walton initially thought she was receiving the postcards by mistake.
But after reading a few of them carefully, she decided they must be linked to
her missing inflatable bat.
   Some postcards promised Matt would return in time for Halloween.
   Sunday night it happened, with Matt returning as mysteriously as he
disappeared.  He was delivered at 11:30 p.m. by a neighbor claiming three
people she met on the street asked her to deliver the package.
   The Waltons are still puzzling over that.  But a dozen photos in the
package with Matt left no doubt the intrepid bat had been seeing the world.
   The snapshots show Matt relaxing on a sandy beach, snorkeling in the ocean,
cooling off in a Virgin Islands hotel swimming pool and hanging out in frong
of a Honolulu police station.
   Though various pepole appear in the photos with Matt, there is no one the
Waltons recognize.  "We're baffled," Mrs. Walton said.
-- 
TELEVISION!  Drug of our nation.  Breeder of ignorance and feeder of radiation.

DISCLAIMER: My writings have NOTHING to do with my employer.  Keep it that way.
Pete Ashdown  pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com  ...uunet!javelin.sim.es.com!pashdown

     --end_included_article--end_included_article--end_included_article--



So, as they say, "It's been done."  ;^)

The poster doesn't cite an exact date for the article, but it reasonably could
be assumed to be around 18 Oct 91, if anyone _really_ wants to look it up.



						d


PS -- Is a perpetrator of shenanigans a "shenaniger"?

					d


-- 
		"I've let my cat use my typewriter on occasion,
		    and the results were cryptic at best." 
						-- Larry Niven
	Duke McMullan n5gax nss13429r phon505-255-4642 n5gax@leo.unm.edu
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans